The Rooftop
by TrippWire
Summary: A collection of moments on the roof of the Titan's Tower. Variety of styles and moods. Ratings will be from K to T. MOMENT 12 POSTED!
1. Introduction

**This is a series of one-shots I'm composing. The fandom is Teen Titans. The pairings and themes are varied. One might be a BBRae moment, maybe another pairing. Another might be a solo moment. Then another might be friendship. Moods can range anywhere from anxious to complacent, awkward to humorous, fluffy to sexy, pretty much anything.**

**The one thing each one of these mini stories has in common, though, is that they all will take place in the same setting: the roof of Titan's Tower. I'm not planning on a certain amount, but they will come as I get new ideas. **

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**Moments****:**

**1. Shadow on the Sun** _(complete /edited 22 Dec '09)_ – Beast Boy, Raven – **Rated K+**

**2. Say "I'm Sorry"** _(complete /edited 24 Nov '09)_ – Beast Boy, Raven – **Rated T**

**3. By Starlight** _(complete /edited 22 Dec '09)_ – All 5 Original Titans – **Rated K+**

**4. At Sunrise** _(complete /edited 22 Dec '09)_ – Robin, Raven – **Rated K**

**5. Over the Edge** _(complete/edited 22 Dec '09 )_ – Raven, Beast Boy – **Rated K**

**6. Respite** _(complete /edited 22 Dec '09)_ – Raven, Cyborg – **Rated K+**

**7. Falling Clouds** _(complete /edited 3 Dec '09)_ – Robin, Starfire – **Rated K**

**8. At Sunset** _(complete /edited 22 Dec '09)_ – Robin, Raven – **Rated K**

**9. Heights** _(complete /edited 24 Nov '09)_ – Robin – **Rated K**

**10. Silent Night (for Christmas 2007)** _(complete /edited 29 May '11)_ – Raven, Beast Boy – **Rated** **K+**

**11. Doves** _(complete /edited 7 Jan '11 )_ – Raven, Starfire – **Rated K**

**12. A Little Privacy** _(complete /edited 22 May '11)_ – Beast Boy, Raven, Robin, Starfire – **Rated T-M**

**13. Tattoo**


	2. 01: Shadow on the Sun

**Disclaimer:** Come on, if I owned the Teen Titans, would I really be sitting here writing stories on FanFic?

**Rating: K+**

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_/edited: 22 December 2009_

**Shadow on the Sun**

It was pleasant outside; warm, but not too hot. Nor was it humid. The sun shined down upon the Earth, only blocked out by the occasional puffy white cloud that drifted lazily across the sky. And a light, cool breeze was added to the mixture, making it a perfect day.

The young Teen Titan was loving every minute of it. After the defeat of the Brotherhood of Evil, the Titans didn't even have half the missions they used to. Most of the villains they had ever encountered fought in allegiance with Brotherhood, and therefore had been frozen during the battle in Paris. From there they were shipped to a polar region of Greenland to make sure they stayed frozen and as isolated as possible. The Titans had much more time to themselves now.

He had gotten up early in the morning; right when the sun began to peak over the horizon, contrary to his normal habit of waking once half the day was gone. He fetched a small snack from the refrigerator and left Titan's Tower to go for a run. Now that most of the villains were subdued, he had to find ways to keep himself in shape. Running had to grown to become one of his favorite methods.

He ran clear across town and into the wilderness that bordered the city. He took his chance to let loose and go full speed. It was already a great day to be outside and the fresh air did him some real good. Without a care in the world, he ran through the woods. He felt as though he were one with nature. And in a way, he was.

Of course, like any other person, he began to grow tired so he eventually made his way back home.

The three Titans in the common room were shocked to see their friend barge through the main doors. And so early too; it wasn't even 10:00am yet. He knew they would react this way, but he casually said "Morning" and went to the refrigerator, this time to grab some bottled water to quench his thirst from his two-hour adventure.

He left the room before the others said anything. They just shrugged it off. At least their friend had finally decided to go to bed and wake up at normal hours.

He took a swig of the cool water as he waited for the elevator. He ran his fingers through his messy hair. It was longer than he had ever kept it before; he was getting tired of the same old short hair style he had for so long. He shook his head and the hair fell back into place except for a few errant strands that fell in front of his eyes. The doors to the elevator opened as he blew the strands of hair out of the way. He stepped in and pressed the button that sent the elevator upwards before leaning against the wall opposite of the door. Watching the light counting by the floors, he started humming softly. Man, did he like how this day was turning out, and there was still so much more he could do.

The light finally reached "roof" and the elevator came to a halt. The doors slid open, revealing the bright sky and the glittering blue ocean off the edge of the Tower.

He walked over to the railing and gazed out over the beautiful sight before him. He had never really taken the time to appreciate how much the simple view of the ocean could hold. Never had he thought that something he saw every day could be as magnificent as it was on this day. He just felt good.

He lifted up his arms and stretched languidly before taking another sip of water. The feel of the breeze against his skin proved to be quite relaxing. It felt even better to be wearing normal clothing too. When the Titans were always on alert for missions, their uniforms were their normal attire so they could simply jump into action when ever a situation called for it. The only time he'd been out of the uniform was during special occasions and when he slept.

The gentle breeze ruffled the hairs on his arms and the hair hanging from his forehead. He smiled and pressed against the railing, drawing in a deep breath and looking out into the distance for a few long minutes.

**-X-X-X-**

Satisfied with the amount of time he has spent on the roof, he turned to head back to the elevator, only to yelp and jump in shock.

Had she been there the whole time? Did he walk right past her and not even notice she was there? Or did she come up after him and decide not to apprise him of her presence?

She was just sitting there with her legs crossed and her head against the wall that encased the elevator shaft. Her eyes were shut and a placid look graced her features. His jaw hung open. It was amazing what a simple change of clothes could do to a person. She wore a simple, black v-neck tee that hugged her figure and showed off her curves… especially around the chest region. A dark-blue pair of hip-hugger jeans flowed easily over her long, slender legs. He always suspected she had something aside from her usual apparel in hiding somewhere. And of course, he was glad she had chosen today to wear it.

He calmed down and smiled once more as his eyes drifted to her face. He always liked the way she looked when it at least _seemed_ that nothing was troubling her. She was always such a mystery, and he liked that about her… Wait… had he been actually _checking her out_? Luckily for him, she didn't seem to notice. Or better yet for him, she didn't seem to mind.

There was a fair amount of distance between them, but his keen eye sight caught a glimpse of the white ear pieces and the wire that extended from them and into her lap. She still hadn't opened her eyes. After a moment's consideration, he decided to walk over to her.

She didn't need to hear, she could feel him coming closer. She just barely opened one eye to see him cracking a smile and slowly making his way towards her. He wore a tight, white muscle shirt that defined is firm torso quite nicely. (The result of finally realizing the benefits of working out, she figured.) He also had a pair of green athletic shorts. His legs were noticeably stronger looking too. He had probably been out running again. And that long hair suited him better than she would have ever expected… If she hadn't been in such a relaxed state of mind, she might have caught and cursed at herself for actually checking_ him _out. Luckily for her, he didn't seem to notice. Or worse for her, he didn't seem to mind.

He sat down next to her, leaning back against the wall as well. He curled his legs up and wrapped his arms around his knees to clasp his hands together. He didn't look at her, but instead kept staring out at the horizon.

She finally broke the silence.

"What's up?" she asked in her deadpan manner, informing him that she knew he was there. She still did not bother to open her eyes.

"Nothin', just enjoying the weather."

"Aren't you up a little early?"

She could never bring herself to be, well, at least polite around him. After a couple years of an awkward friendship, it was just the norm for her to question his actions.

He just chuckled. "Maybe. What are you doin' up here, might I ask?" he prompted although he already knew the answer.

"Nothin'," she replied the same way, "just listening to some music."

"Not meditating today, huh?"

"Meditating isn't the only way to calm the mind."

He looked at her a good long second before deciding what to say next.

"Mind if I take a listen?" he asked.

She did not respond. She merely took out her left ear piece and handed it too him. He gingerly put it in his left ear. Music always sounded strange when an ear piece was not in the correct ear.

She pressed the play button on her media player and he heard the sound of guitars fading out. No doubt a song was just ending. He had a hunch she had been listening to some type of rock music. He was about to ask what song that was, but he had enough "experience" with her to know when it was not the right time to speak. This was one of those times. She continued to rest her head on the wall behind her, still facing forwards and her eyelids closed. He did not want to disturb her when she was in such a relaxed state of mind. He decided he rather enjoyed seeing her like this.

A few moments later, the next song began with a calm yet almost sad rhythm on the lead guitar. He could tell it would be a slow-paced song by the way delicate notes were played. He had half expected her to being listening to something with a little more edge, like Linkin Park or Korn even. Then the singer came in with the first line.

"_Once upon a time, I was of the mind to lay your burden down."_

He recognized the singer's raspy, deep voice, but he couldn't recall the song or the band. Definitely not a song he had heard on the radio.

"_And leave you where you stood. You believed I could. You'd seen it done before."_

With a small lick, the bass and the drums came in, setting the pace. Even with the slow tempo, it had a groove that drove the song forward. He lightly nodded his headed in rhythm with the beat, showing that he liked it so far.

"_I could read you thoughts; tell you what you saw and never say a word. Now that is gone; over with and done – never to return."_

The tone all of a sudden intensified and the guitars blared.

"_I can tell you why people die alone!"_

He listened to heaviness of the guitars and the drums still keeping impeccable time.

"_I can tell you I'm a shadow on the sun!"_

The guitars rang out and the song was brought back down to the previous intensity to take their time to set up the next verse.

"_Staring at the loss; looking for a cause and never really sure. Nothing but a hole; to live without a soul and nothing to be learned."_

It built back up again into the chorus with the low, heavy pulse. He glanced at her. She was listening quite intently, her eyes still closed. He too closed his eyes and absorbed the music.

"_I can tell you why people go insane!"_

He breathed in…

"_I can show you how you could do the same!"_

And slowly released…

"_I can tell you why the end will never come!"_

Was this the relaxation she was feeling?

_I can tell you I'm a shadow on the sun!"_

She was right. Music was a good way to "find your center", as she liked to put it. It didn't matter that the grunge guitars were blasting in his ears and the drums were countering the rhythmic thump of his heart. Maybe it was the combination of the gorgeous weather and the great morning he had experienced already. Either way, he felt contented, just sitting on a roof and listening to some music that he particularly liked, not to mention the company he had only inches away.

The lead guitar took a light solo, but used a technique that created a peculiar assonance after each note. But as before, the music grew more vehement and the bass took over the melody as the lead played a in a distorted overtone until the drums lead the song back into the calm.

"_Shapes of every size… move behind my eyes."_

He turned his head to her and was thoroughly surprised to see the depths of her amethyst eyes staring back into his own. She was far from the monotonous being she had been just a few minutes ago.

"_Doors inside my head… bolted from within."_

All of a sudden, he wished he could unbolt those doors…

"_Every drop of flame!"_

He thought of all flames she had passed through…

"_Lights a candle in!"_

There wouldn't be enough…

"_Memory of the one… who lived inside my skin!"_

The song built up and the dark feel resurfaced once again. He noticed a small blush upon her cheeks and she turned back to the horizon, closing her eyes again and embracing the music. He leaned back to do the same as her, but he kept wondering.

"_I can tell you why people go insane!"_

So could she…

"_I can show you how you could do the same!" _

He was almost afraid she would…

"_I can tell you why the end will never come!"_

Because they already lived through it…

"_I can tell you I'm a shadow on the sun!" _

The song began to fade out. But just when he thought it was over, the lead guitar started again, this time with a new pattern. The drums and bass came in a measure later. It started out soft, but just kept building and building and building until all hell broke loose.

He winced slightly as she inched up the volume. The true hardcore potential of the band flourished and gust of actual wind brushed passed his body, ruffling his hair, and both sending a chill down his spine.

"_Shadow on the sun!" _

The singer now poured his soul into the lyrics.

"_Shadow on the sun!"_

He opened his eyes and looked around, noticing that the sky had gotten darker. Not like nighttime, but it was unnaturally dim, especially since it was almost noon and there weren't many clouds in the sky. Had he really been that distracted by, well… everything else that much? What the hell was going on?

"_Shadow on the sun!"_

He looked up into the sky to find the source of the darkness.

"_Shadow on the sun!"_

He found none.

"_Shadow on the sun!"_

Not sure what to expect, he cautiously focused his attention to the glowing orb in the heavens.

"_Shadow on the sun!"_

His eyes widened in amazement and narrowed into a squint in one brief second.

"_Shadow on the sun!"_

Even though it was such an astonishing sight, he knew never to look at the brilliant light directly. He reluctantly turned away.

"_Shadow on the Sun!"_

His attention was brought back to the heart pounding music.

"_SUN!"_

The singer screamed, his voice seeming to emanate from the Hellfire itself. The bass created by the instrumentals rattled him at his core.

"_SUN!"_

And in an abrupt instant... the song was over. It was dead silent except for the sound of the breakers crashing on the shoreline. He could finally fully concentrate on the things that were at hand.

She was looking up, using her hands as a visor. She seemed unphazed by the unnatural light. Was this why she was up her in the first place? Had she planned on this?

He knew they should have been wearing eye protection, but this was a rare opportunity to see the wonders of the universe. He turned just enough to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon.

They both finally turned to look at each other. She was wearing a smile. A smile he had never seen. A care-free smile. Was she that relaxed? He looked at her queerly. There was a delightful glint in her deep violet eyes that sent a spark of electricity through his veins. He returned the smile.

"A shadow on the sun, I suppose."

**A/N's: **

I'll leave you to decide who said the last line… hehe.

For some reason I felt like doing this one-shot in "all pronouns", although it's pretty obvious who the two characters are.

I think this story was just an excuse for me to write about one of my favorite songs of all time and show how it related to the characters. I'm not usually the one to pay attention to lyrics, but I could see how the lyrics of the song could relate to the BBxRae coupling... mostly Raven.

The song is "Shadow on the Sun" by Audioslave from their album "Audioslave".

So, if you (1) like rock music, (2) liked this fic, and (3) have never heard this song and would like to hear it, then copy this link onto your browser and remove all the spaces as needed. _**except for in between 07 Track 7.**_

**freewebs . com / wiredtotheset /07 Track 7. wma**

Listen to it really really loudly! ;)


	3. 02: Say, I'm Sorry

**Disclaimer: Come on, if I owned the Teen Titans, would I really be sitting here writing stories on FanFic?**

**Rating: T (for language)**

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_/edited: 24 November 2009_

**Say, "I'm Sorry"**

He was sprinting so fast that the door nearly snapped off its hinges as he rammed into it. Without losing a step, he continued along, but soon realized there was nowhere else to go.

He looked back to make sure he had escaped. This would be his fatal mistake.

Nothing happened, so he thought he was in the clear, but suddenly the door was engulfed in a deathly black aura and was finally torn off its mangled hinges. It fired off overhead with supersonic speed. It was a good thing no one was in its path. He gaped as he watched the helpless door fly off at least half a mile into the ocean.

"BEAST BOY!"

He never thought the sound of his own name would cause him so much panic.

If he didn't act now, he would surely be dead within the next minute. Unfortunately, he had already run out of precise time and, without warning, he found himself being crushed by the same aura that showed the poor, innocent door to its untimely demise.

"Beast Boy! Apologize, now!" Her voice sounded of pure fire and blinding fury radiated out of her normally hollow eyes.

"Raven, it was an accident!" he squealed and gritted his teeth in agony. Every time he exhaled, he felt his breathing room shrink.

"I don't care, you bastard! Now say, 'I'm sorry'!" she fumed.

He struggled, but found himself being constricted even tighter as he did. Had he really done something _that_ bad? "Jeez, you think you could loosen this thing up a bit?" he asked, only _half_ joking.

Raven moved her hand, and Beast Boy moved with it until he was left dangling off the side of the Tower and above the island below.

She looked at him threateningly. "Would you just apologize!" she spat. She couldn't believe his attitude. 'Is he really that much of a stubborn little asshole?' she thought.

Beast Boy forgot about the danger he was in as he thought of something. "Uh, Raven--"

"I'll do it," she cut him off and gestured at the ground far, far below them. The grip around him loosened a bit.

Beast Boy remained unphazed. "You know I can fly, right," he stated, more as a fact rather than a question.

'Or is he really just that ignorant?' she reconsidered.

She chose not to respond, but instead she quirked an eyebrow at him.

He thought he had her with that comment and began to grin smugly. But then, he felt something inside himself change. No, he felt his whole body change. Before he knew it, he was staring at a large muzzle that extended out from in between his eyes.

"Holy shit! I'm a bear!" was what he would have exclaimed if it hadn't come out as a roar.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall," she gibed.

Beast Boy was filled with horror when he found that he was being held in his current state; he could not change back. An evil smirk spread across Raven's lips as she knew that this hit him hard.

Eventually, she did turn him back to his normal form.

"You can still morph me!?" he asked in complete and utter terror.

"I didn't lose everything Malchior taught me, you know," she said in her more recognizable "Raven" tone. She continued to hold him off the edge of the tower and then remembered that he still hadn't apologized for what he had done.

"Apologize for what you did _now_!" she demanded.

Beast Boy, on the other hand, was still distressed with the fact that she retained the ability to transform him. "That's totally unfair, Raven. You don't just go around and turn guys into animals all 'willy-nilly' like that," he said, crossing his arms the best he could under the confinement of her powers.

She released her grasp on and let him fall a couple feet before snatching him yet again with the dark energy.

"Are you kidding me!?" she asked incredulously. Why was he so stubborn? She put her hand on her hip and she leaned to one side as her foot tapped vigorously. He simply looked back at her scornfully.

A silence fell between them. She held Beast Boy over the edge of the Tower with her powers and he still had his arms crossed and made no attempt to escape, all the while still glaring at each other.

Finally after what seemed like minutes, but in reality was only seconds, a defeated look came across her face. She looked right into his emerald eyes. Beast Boy could see the hurt in hers. To answer what he asked himself earlier: Yeah, what he had done was _really that bad_.

She sighed sadly, "Dammit, Beast Boy, why won't you just apologize?"

Beast Boy melted at her the sound of her voice and the tension slowly left his body. Man, did he hate making her feel this way. She may have thought otherwise, but the truth was, he never aimed to infuriate her, especially to the point she was at just at a minute ago. She was so frustrated with him that she just sort of broke down. Either that or she was just putting on one heck of a show. No, he could tell. She really wanted him to just stop being such a jerk. It was strange how quickly his mood came to match hers.

He sighed. Whatever the case, Raven always had a way of persuading people, whether it came from her impeccable sense of logic or how she was feeling… or a death threat.

"Raven," he spoke calmly, "I'm sorry. I really am. What happened back there was an accident, but that doesn't mean you don't deserve an apology. The only thing I can ask of you is your forgiveness. Even if you don't forgive me, I'll understand."

He grew sadder at his own words. "Even if you don't want me to speak to you again, I won't object. As long as it makes you feel better, then I'm willing to accept that."

He looked down and his pointy ears lost most of their perkiness. He avoided her gaze.

Raven didn't need to be an empath to know he meant everything he said. She simply lowered him back onto the roof gently and began to walk away. That's all she wanted to hear. As she approached the stairwell, she laughed guiltily as she realized she would be paying for a new door.

Beast Boy was relieved that she had not completely lost control of her anger, but he was still a little shaken. He poked at his ribs to make sure none of them were broken.

Yet something still didn't feel right; he needed to resolve something.

"Raven?" he asked timidly.

She stopped, but did not turn around.

He pointed back to the edge of the roof, "You wouldn't--"

"Of course not," she replied casually.

When she turned around, he instantly felt better. Not because of her answer, but because of the warmth that returned to her eyes. She smiled, but quickly repressed it and then turned around to head back downstairs.

Beast Boy watched her continue down the stairwell until she disappeared from his sight.

He grinned. The thought of getting her to smile, even if only for a brief and regretful moment on her part, made his spine tingle. Yes, he sure did feel better.

But something still nagged at him…it was something about Raven… something she did just before… _to him_.

"Gah! Raven, wait up!" he called and began to run after her down the stairs.

**A/N's:**

Lol. This was just a short drabble; but I'm fond of it. You gotta love the love/hate relationship.

Yeah, this one involved a stairwell instead of an elevator like in the last one, but I couldn't see the elevator working for this one. Hey, it's a fic, so I can do what I want. :p

I like being vague with these types of stories. I never actually explained what Beast Boy did to make Raven so mad. It keeps the reading guessing/interested, at least somewhat.


	4. 03: By Starlight

**Disclaimer: Come on, if I owned the Teen Titans, would I really be sitting here writing stories on FanFic?**

**Rating: K+**

Just so you know, this takes place a good while after the last episode of the show, and BB and Rae are already together. :) Mind you, there's definitely a little OOC in here. This is like a serious Crack Fic; random and pointless. You've been warned.

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_/edited: 22 December 2009_

**By Starlight**

"What do you see?" Beast Boy asked.

"The Big Dipper," Cyborg replied.

"Orion," was Robin's answer.

"The moon," Raven said.

"Multiple luminous celestial bodies consisting of masses of gas held together by their own gravity in which the energy generated by nuclear reactions in the interior is balanced by the outflow of energy to the surface, and the inward-directed gravitational forces are balanced by the outward-directed gas and radiation pressures," came Starfire's response.

Everyone turned their heads at the same time and gave the Tamaranian a queer look. Starfire still looked up into the heavens, unaware of her friends' bewilderment.

2am… It was two in the morning and none of the Titans could find the will to sleep; they had been out the previous night fighting crime. Why did thieves and villains always choose nighttime to carry out their hopeless plots?

The late night had thrown off their body clocks, and now they found themselves together, sitting in a circle on the roof of their humble home. Robin came up first, followed closely by _his_ Starfire, then Cyborg, and then finally the two newest love birds.

It was natural for each of them to come to the roof; it was the perfect place to think or relax. Even Raven, who was quite the tea hound, chose to skip her usual detour to the kitchen and walk straight up to the roof.

They all had been up there since at least 1am, and still no yawns or any signs of tiredness.

Beast Boy, being who he was, tried to keep everyone in conversation. The latest topic he thought of was the mystical sheath of night itself. It was interesting to hear and compare how each of his friends interpreted the very same sky he saw every night. Starfire's interpretation especially…

Starfire sat close to Robin, her arms wrapped around his left arm while she gently laid her head on his shoulder. To their right sat Cyborg, who had reclined onto his back and put his hands behind his head. And finally, to his right were Raven and Beast Boy, who both sat cross legged with their hands interlaced in between them.

"Anybody tired yet?" Cyborg questioned after a moment's silence.

"Nope," they all replied at once.

And with that, more silence followed. They continued to relax in their current positions, enjoying the company of each other. A sudden giggle from Starfire brought them all back to attention.

"I just had a humorous thought," she said, still giggling. "You all remember the time in which we were under the control of the Mother-Mae-Eye, yes?"

The Titans chuckled.

"Oof, that one was ridiculous," Cyborg said, remembering the obscene amounts of pie and the yellow rain-coat.

"Tell me about it," Raven chimed in, "I was put in a frizzy yellow dress." She rolled her eyes at the memory and everyone laughed at the mental images.

"What? You didn't like that outfit, Raven?" Robin asked jokingly.

"Yeah, I thought you looked cute with pig tails and all," Beast Boy teased.

"Almost as cute as you in those nice little bunny-rabbit pajamas," Raven countered slyly. She offered him a slight smirk.

If Cyborg hadn't already been on his back, he would have been after Raven's remark. He pointed at Beast Boy and held his sides as laughter consumed him.

Beast Boy blushed and decided to keep is mouth shut. He made a mental note to never attempt to outwit Raven again.

"If it weren't for Starfire, our butts would have been toast… well, baked actually," Robin said and gave a quick peck on Starfire's forehead. She giggled yet again and brought a hand to her mouth in response to her boyfriend's charm.

"Yes, you were quite… distracted... before I applied the 'slapping of the senses'," she pointed out humorously.

"I think I had a bump the size of a golf ball on my head for at least a week after that," Beast Boy said and rubbed his head, checking to make sure that the bump was really gone.

"Maybe if you had been nicer to me back then, that bump would not have been there so long," Raven said in a mockingly sweet tone, referring to her healing abilities. She patted his grass green hair.

"Well then maybe I should get Starfire to hit me again so you can make me all better," Beast Boy simpered. He leaned in closer to her.

"Well then maybe I'll have to take you up on that," she replied before moving in and brushing her lips against his, just to tease him.

The disappointment was apparent in Beast Boy's eyes as she backed off, leaving him in a state of want.

"I do not understand. Friend Beast Boy, do you wish for me to cause you pain?" asked a confused Starfire. She clenched her fist in preparation for the "inflicting of the damage" upon the changeling.

Beast Boy jumped back several feet and frantically waved his hands to halt the alien. "Dude! It was a joke! I was just kidding!" he exclaimed in terror.

Instead, Cyborg was the one in pain… from laughing so damn hard. He decided that there really was nothing better than laughing at Beast Boy's expense.

Once Beast Boy regained his composure, he scooted back up next to Raven, who showed off a devilish smile.

With her pointer finger under his chin, she slowly directed his face to hers and closed the distance until her lips met his in a deep, passionate kiss. After the shock wore off from her bold move, he closed his eyes in pure pleasure as he returned the kiss.

"Whoahohoh! Settle down now!" Cyborg shouted. "Raven, we know you're happy this whole 'love' thing… but please, get a freakin' room!"

After a few more elongated seconds, Beast Boy regretfully broke away from Raven's hold on his lips then glanced at the stunned Cyborg, the changeling's grin widening after studying his friend's expression. "Already got a room," he said slyly and winked at him.

The three then turned to see that Robin and Stafire had followed Beast Boy's and Raven's example, except they were quite engaged. Starfire had crawled on top of Robin, who was now on the ground caressing her back. They were kissing each other to no end.

"Aww, come on guys," Cyborg whined.

"Why don't you call up Bumble Bee?" Beast Boy suggested, reminding his friend that he was not alone.

"At quarter after two in the morning?" Cyborg asked, raising his eye brow.

"Sure, I don't see why not. We're all up, aren't we?" Beast Boy replied.

"Awake, yes. Up, no." Cyborg said, eyeing the other couple on the ground. "I'm gonna go play myself to sleep on the Game Station. See y'all when you're… less busy."

Cyborg got up and left for a hopefully more resultful companionship with the video game system in the common room.

Beast Boy chuckled before Raven pulled him into a tight embrace and resumed what she had started earlier. She was determined to make it last as long as possible.

It really is strange, what can happen by starlight…

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**A/N's:**

Seriously, it really is strange. That's when this came to me. Around 2am.

This was originally intended to be a completely innocent, G-rated, plotless moment. Well, it looks like I only got that plotless thing down. Hooray for fast-paced fluff!

I'd just like to thank everyone who has reviewed thus far in my little writing endeavor. :)


	5. 04: At Sunrise

**Disclaimer: Come on, if I owned the Teen Titans, would I really be sitting here writing stories on FanFic?**

**Rating: K**

NOT BBxRae for once! Jut my interpretation of a topic that may be commonly revisited. I know it's not completely original, but the idea came to my head so I wrote it.

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_/edited: 22 December 2009_

**At Sunrise**

Robin climbed the stairs at a leisurely pace with a smile planted on his face. No matter how a day ended, his mood was always like this in the morning. The future held things he could not possibly foresee, so he decided to just wait and see what each passing day would bring.

It was still early, very early, but he didn't care. He never cared. It was just his time to start the day. Contrary to popular belief, Robin did not schedule his days, apart from the times when the team had mandatory training. He did not wake to immediately start working out. He did not go on surveillance duty at the operations computer. He did nothing of the sort, actually. No, he spent this time to relax because the rest of the world and its wrongdoers made their plans for later in the day.

Robin reached the top of the staircase and turned the knob on the door to reveal the brilliant, orange glow coming from the East end of the Tower. He was about to take another step, but something caught his eye: an all too familiar blue cloak swaying in the gentle sea breeze. Raven stood there completely fixated, watching the slowly brightening sun rise up from the distant horizon.

It took him a few moments to realize that he had been staring. His original smile had been smudged away, but a new, different kind of smile soon replaced it as he began to make his way to his friend. As he walked, the situation became more and more familiar.

"What are you doing up so early?" he asked warmly as he approached her.

Raven was in the process of turning to face him, but she quickly decided against it. This did not go unnoticed by Robin.

"I could ask you the same thing," she responded quietly. He came to stand to her left, but she remained facing forward with her eyes closed.

Robin looked back out to the orange sun, its light producing a similar color on the clouds that drifted by.

"Déjà vu, huh?" he asked cautiously.

"Yeah," she replied, even quieter than before.

It was indeed déjà vu, except this morning was sure to be different than that last time. _That_ morning had brought something that neither of them could stop, despite all their effort to prevent it. Robin wasn't sure if Raven was okay on the subject; it had only been two weeks since Trigon's downfall and this was the first time he had seen her on the roof since then.

The Boy Wonder was at a loss for words. Partly because he didn't know how to follow up on his question, and partly because he wasn't sure if she even wanted to talk to anyone at the moment.

That second notion was eliminated when she began to speak. "Robin, I don't know why I feel this way," she said, sadness lying just beneath her usually monotonous voice.

"What do you mean?" he inquired, quite confused.

She sighed heavily. "I don't know why I feel so… low, so… used. Everything should be better now. Everything should be normal, but it's not. It's still there; the pain, the sorrow. And I just don't know why."

She finally turned to him. Her face was far from the façade she had presented that morning from before… the morning she offered to make breakfast and had uncharacteristically asked her friends if they wanted to hang out. Her amethyst eyes were full of a teary glimmer that Robin had never seen before. It was obvious now that she had been crying. Probably not weeping, but tearing all the same. She must have stopped crying once she felt his presence; she was always quick to cover up her feelings.

Looking right into her glistening eyes though his mask, he spoke soothingly, "We all just want to move on, Raven. To put everything in the past and make sure it stays there. It's difficult, sometimes almost impossible. And some things hurt too much to let go of completely, despite how much time passes by. But, sometimes we do manage to find a solace."

Suddenly, his own memories flooded and a somber look washed over him. Raven didn't need to hear him say it for her to understand; _he knew exactly how she felt_. Robin had his own painful memories that have stayed with him since his childhood. Different situations, yes, but the pain was unmistakably similar. Yet Robin attempted to keep those memories in check, just for her sake.

Another breeze picked up and sent Raven's violet hair cascading across her face. She closed her eyes once more before turning back to the bay. The still-awakening sun began to transition from the deep orange to more familiar yellow. The gentle light glowed against her pale skin and softened the features of her face. Robin still looked at her intently, waiting for a response.

"I guess I never gave it much thought." Raven paused. "For a while, I was convinced everything was alright, even as soon as the day I defeated my fath— Trigon. I wanted so much to be happy, and I may have been at the time, but now that things have slowed down, it's given me time to think… and I don't like thinking."

Robin was taken aback by this revelation. "What do you mean you don't like to think?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Thinking has never brought me anything good, Robin. Everything good thing in my mind is turned into something… bad," she clarified.

"Why?" he pressed.

Raven did not answer. Robin realized he had been pressing too far into her emotional barriers, and she forced the walls back up. She did not even bother to shoot him a dismissive reply. She did not change the subject. She remained silent, not even attempting to cover up the fact that this was something she did not want to explain… at least for the time being.

Robin too turned to look over the bay. He hadn't taken much notice of the sky he had come up to see in the first place. If she wasn't going to talk, then neither was he. He was somewhat mad at her. Mad at her because she would not express herself. Mad because she would not allow him to help her. They had a special bond that they could share with no other soul, so why would she not talk to him?

However, he instantly felt ashamed for being angry with her. It really was not her fault, so he became mad at himself. This was just how he reacted when he was faced with a problem he could not solve. Oh, how he wished he could help her.

"I know that you wish you could help," Raven whispered suddenly. Robin jumped a little from her statement. Not because it had broken him from his train of thought, but because what she said had been exactly what he was thinking.

"The pain is still there, b—"

Robin was quick to console, but his voice was composed. "It's only been two weeks. It'll take time. Perhaps months, even years, but trust me, it will go away."

She sighed again, but it was more of annoyed sigh. "The pain is still there, _but_," she emphasized the last word to let him know he had not let her finish, "you've helped me more than you know. You're still helping me more than you know."

She turned to him again with a soft, almost timid smile, as if she was nervous about even committing such an action. Her mood had lightened significantly, and in such a short time too. She almost started to tear again, but she kept them from falling. Except this time, hope was blazing in her eyes. The orange-yellow light shined deep within them, creating a magnificent reflection and a sight that could not even be matched by the brilliant, warm sky in the distance. Robin found himself unable to move.

Raven felt an urge to hold onto him; hold on and never let go, but something stopped her. Deep down, she knew a chance like this for her and Robin would never come again, but her heart told her it would not be right. She got the feeling that they both knew this was true. However, she was certain that their bond would never be broken.

She settled for gazing at the awakening sky, standing next to the Boy Wonder. He carefully wrapped his arm around her and placed his hand on her opposite shoulder. The aura that surrounded him let her know he did it as an offer of comfort, nothing more.

"Robin?" she said hesitantly.

"Hmm?" he prompted.

"Thank you… for being such a wonderful friend." And just like that, the tentativeness in her voice was gone, replaced by the genuine Raven that Robin had been aching to hear for so long. Even if this genuine Raven would disappear for the remainder of each passing day, at least he knew it would be there for him at sunrise.

* * *

**A/N's:**

I hope this brings in a little more variety in audience.

Well… this isn't a pairing thing, but it still involves the two dynamic characters in what I believe their friendship to be according to how the TV show rolls along, especially after the events of Season 4. The way I wrote this it makes it pretty close to using the pairing. I think what this particular writing shows is that in the world of the TV show, RobxRae _could have been_. But Starfire needs love too, you know. ;) So if Robin and Starfire FINALLY kiss in the movie, then that's how it's going to be.

So now that you have hopefully read my drabble, GO REVIEW! Or else…


	6. 05: Over the Edge

**Disclaimer: Come on, if I owned the Teen Titans, would I really be sitting here writing stories on FanFic?**

**Rating: K**

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_/edited: 22 December 2009_

**Over the Edge**

"You're insane."

"I am _so_ not!"

"Fine, you're not insane. You're incredibly stupid."

"Why won't you just do it?"

Raven eyed him. "Because for one, it's reckless. And two, even though you and I can both fly, it's dangerous and not something worth risking my neck over. Not to mention Robin will freak out if he ever finds out about this… or the fact that you have his grappling hook, for that matter."

The changeling snorted and hid the device behind his back. "Robin freaks out over everything, and it's not like we haven't had to do some reckless things before," he pointed out.

"_You,_" she corrected, pointing her finger so that is was almost at his nose. "_You_ have done reckless things, not me."

"Come on!" Beast Boy whined. "I'm practically begging here! Robin and Star are spending the whole day alone and Cyborg is off doing God knows what, so I've been alone and bored all day!"

"How unfortunate," she said sarcastically. "At least I can keep myself occupied when I'm alone. Maybe you should—"

"Oh, no no no," he interrupted, wagging his own finger right back at her, "you're not talking me out of this and I'm not letting you walk away either."

"What makes you think you can stop me from leaving right now?" Raven quizzed, crossing her arms.

"…"

"Exactly," she scoffed.

"Pleeease!" he pleaded, getting on his knees and clasping his hands together, holding them up to her. Maybe he really was desperate…

"No," she refused. "You told me to meet you on the roof, and so I have. Being asked to do something _that _ignorant was _not_ part of the deal."

"Not even once?" he tried again, still on his knees.

"No."

"Not even if I leave you alone for the rest of the week?"

Raven groaned a loud groan. "For the last time, NO!"

Beast Boy then remembered something and he stirred up a sly grin. This caught Raven off guard for a moment and she uncrossed her arms. "What if I agree to buy you that chocolate mousse you like _oh _so much? You still don't know where we got it from the last time, do you?"

Raven's eyes widened for a second after realizing what he had said. She stayed in silence…

Beast Boy was actually surprised by her failure to dismiss his bribe. "A-are you serious? You'd do it for the mousse?" he asked precariously.

"I didn't say anything," she countered, although her voice had lost the confidence it held before.

He quirked an eyebrow in suspicion. "But you didn't say 'no'."

"But I didn't say 'yes' either."

He brought a hand to his chin and tapped it lightly with his index finger. "I dunno. Not being able to answer sounds more like a '_yes_' to me."

"Then it would appear that my silence has obscured your ability to make extrospections."

Beast Boy took a moment to piece together the big words and Raven mentally complimented herself for her small victory. She never really spoke that way, but man was she glad for knowledge. It was a good way to gain the upper hand on the grass stain.

Beast Boy eventually returned from his little "mind detour", but now he looked more mischievous than ever. "No, I think you _would_ do it for the chocolate mousse," he said. "In fact, I think on some level you _do_ want to do this anyway."

Raven's lips were sealed shut.

"I bet you've never done anything like this before, hmm?" he asked arrogantly. "Want something that'll give you that rush?"

Raven was becoming quite peeved at the boy's persistence. "What? You don't think our battles are enough to get my adrenaline going?" she replied.

"_That's_ different. _This_ is fun." He winked.

"You sound so sure of yourself," she commented skeptically.

"I am."

"Then why don't you go find that out for _yourself_," she proposed, gesturing the edge of the roof. "I'll be happy to stand by and watch in case I need to call a clean-up crew to sweep your remains off the island." Annoyance was now teetering on top of her usually calm voice.

"Do it alone?" He frowned. "That wouldn't be any fun."

"Then I guess that means you can't to do it now." Raven smiled smugly; she seemed to be gaining control of the argument again.

"Come on!" he began pleading again, his arms flailing about. His persuasion wasn't enough, apparently. "You know you wanna do this! There's no way you could possibly live a half-way decent life locked up in your room all the time!"

He hit home with that one, but Raven didn't let it show, or at least she attempted to not let it.

"Everyone needs a _little_ adventure in their life," Beast Boy proclaimed.

"I don't need adventure," she responded anesthetically and turned her head away from him, looking off nowhere in particular.

Beast Boy paused from his rant after hearing her words. What happened to the power her voice held just moments ago? She was not making eye contact with him anymore. He recognized her sullen attitude through her actions, so he calmed himself down to be level with her. "I don't ask for much, Raven. Will you please do it for me?" he asked gently.

"Well, you're right about one thing; you don't ask for much, but that still isn't going to change my mind," she said gravely and turned to walk away from this predicament, but she didn't get very far.

Beast Boy sighed. "I just wanted to put a little change your day… and mine too. I wanted to get away from that damn TV. I wanted to get you to do something with a friend. You know, because we're not exactly what you would call 'close'. And trust me, if I didn't think it was smart to do this, then I wouldn't," he said, scratching the back of his head.

Raven walked back to him. "It isn't smart," she indicated, but her voice held no asperity. "But I _do _trust that you know how to handle yourself. I just don't want to get involved."

"Why?"

"The possible consequences aren't worth it. Besides, is this really something you or anybody else would expect _me_ to do?"

"Is that what this is about? Are you afraid of what others might think? That this could somehow destroy that reputation of yours? That's why you _should_ do it: to show that you're not all people think you are, to show that you are more; that you are willing to do things outside of what you are expected. To prove to people that you are not some creepy girl that hates the world because, Raven, you are nothing like that."

She contemplated on his words and eventually she smiled mildly. "I would prefer it stayed a secret, though," she told him.

He looked at her blankly for a moment, trying to decide if he heard her right. "So, uh… does that mean you'll do it with me?" he asked unsurely.

Raven walked to the edge of the roof and turned to him. "Just don't let go," she said playfully.

She motioned for him to come stand next to her and he happily obliged.

Then he realized something. "Ugh, too bad we're on an island," he muttered, one hand reaching for Robin's grappling hook and the other reaching for Raven's hand.

Raven knew what he meant immediately. There was no one around to see them. "Yeah, that would have made your speech a little more profound," she said, again with her subtle humor.

Beast Boy made sure they both had a good grip on each other's hand.

"Hey, Raven?"

"Yeah?"

"Is this for the thrill or the mousse?"

"I think it's for something more than either of those."

"I think you deserve the mousse anyway."

* * *

**A/N's:**

Eh, just a silly little idea. :)

Okay, just think. Their on the roof and have a grappling hook. Just imagine what they could do with that combination. So if you can do that, I think you're set. There are so many possibilities, but you chose the one you like best.

Oh, and the thing about the chocolate mousse: inspired by beautifulpurpleflame. Read her story "Double Date" and you'll see what I mean.


	7. 06: Respite

**Disclaimer: Come on, if I owned the Teen Titans, would I really be sitting here writing fan fiction?**

**Rating: K+**

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_/edited: 22 December 2009_

**Respite**

It was that time of day. However, "that time of day" always seemed to come at a different hour, but it came nonetheless. She needed quiet. She needed serenity. She needed an escape. Constant quarrels of "I'm not making any of that tofu gunk" and "You need to stop being so lazy" and "I'll whoop your ass in Mega Monkeys" and other things of the sort could really drive her to the point of insanity. But she could always find respite on the one seldom used part of their giant T-on-an-island: the roof. Sometimes her room was not the fortress of solitude (1) she was looking for, so the roof was the next obvious choice. When she was alone up here, she could calm her mind and find peace in the faint sound of the breakers crashing against the shore and the occasional squawks from a flock of seagulls. Not to mention the view up here was scenic; the overview of the bustling city and behind it a gorgeous, mountainous forest that displayed a multitude of colors that changed with the seasons. Then on the other side was the glistening sea on which the sun cast its brilliant light, making it seem as though diamonds were shimmering on the crests of the gentle waves.

Yes, it was truly placid. She sat on the seaward side to avoid the brightness of the mid-afternoon sun. This was really calming her nerves and her continually stirring emotions. She let her legs swing back and forth off the edge of the roof while she took in deep, slow breaths. As long as her friends were still inside, she would not run the risk of accidentally blowing something with her powers. Every once in a while there would be some rough patches in the five teens' relationship. She could not bare these rough patches, so she chose to throw herself away from the noisy, ongoing arguments as well as from the awkward silences that plagued the air in the common room. True, she was embracing the silence now, but it was because this was different from the silences that were commonly referred to as the "cold shoulder".

Unfortunately, she had been on the roof all of ten minutes before the sound of an opening door caused her to wince and force her eyes shut in frustration. She debated with herself whether she should just teleport back to her room or prepare to weather the storm and attempt to fight back. She really didn't want a confrontation, but she didn't want to leave the roof either. All of this contemplating had made her unaware that her visitor was standing right beside her until she actually looked over and saw him. He was staring out into the distance with a blank expression on his face.

"If you came up here to argue, then I'm not interested," she stated plainly.

"Whoa now, that's not what I came here for," he said and took a seat next to her.

She was relieved. "Then why _are_ you here?" she inquired, still looking at him expectantly. She didn't care about the past arguments now, she was glad to just talk to a friend.

He shrugged. "I dunno, probably the same reason as you."

"Tired of Beast Boy?"

He knew she would say that. It was her… "special" way of treating the kid, after all.

"Him _and_ Robin," he added. "Starfire, well, she's just givin' me a headache from tryin' so hard to calm all of us down. I can't blame her."

She nodded in agreement. The Tamaranian princess could be quite loud at times.

They didn't say anything else for a minute or two before he broke the silence. "I know I said I was up here for the same reason as you, but I doubt our reasons could be that similar," he prompted.

She noticed how hardened and empty his human eye seemed, but he was still able to present a pleasant aura with his smile.

"I just wanted to get outside for awhile," she replied.

"That all?"

He really was like a big brother to her, as far as she knew about older siblings. She could never get by him with just a simple answer. Sometimes she thought he could have been her guardian angel, but she knew that she helped him just as much as he helped her. She _was_ calmer now, and this wasn't really a touchy subject for her, so she could afford to give him a reasonable answer.

"Although I try not to show it, you _do_ know that because of my abilities, yours and everyone else's moods can affect mine. All of this arguing is taking a toll on me," she explained.

"We'll get passed it. The arguin' I mean. We always do," he said comfortingly.

She looked dejected now. "Yeah, but still."

"But still what?" he prompted again.

"Things are hard enough as it is. I just wish this never happened in the first place."

"That's not likely when you got five different teenagers with different interests cramped into one building," he said, laughing mildly when he finished.

"But you and Beast Boy both like videogames," she reminded him.

"Yeah, but still," he repeated her.

"But still what?" she asked, following the direction he had taken with her.

"It doesn't mean that we don't have our differences," he clarified.

"Fair enough," she said with a small smile of her own forming.

Even though this particular conversation didn't start on bad terms, both of them knew that they could never get truly mad at each other anyway, even if they tried. It was easy to get annoyed, but staying mad was impossible. However, that didn't mean they didn't try to outwit each other some times. So after a few more minutes, he felt like engaging upon a curious subject. A slight smirk played its way to his lips.

"So… are you gonna make a move?" he asked out of no where.

"Excuse me?" she asked. She heard his words, but she had no idea what he was talking about.

"Are you gonna wait until all this arguin' stops?" he continued, purposely ignoring her question.

"What are you talking about?" She asked a little louder this time. Now she was just plain confused.

He continued. "Or are you gonna wait for him to make a move?"

She knew he was deliberately ignoring her, so this made her a bit flustered. "Would you just listen to me for a second?" she pleaded, even louder than before.

He finally allowed her a little leverage. "I'm sorry, did you say somethin'?" he asked innocently, but the wild grin on his face made it obvious that he was plotting something.

"Would you _please_ tell me what the hell you are talking about?"

"You don't think I know? You are pretty good about hidin' it, but you can't get by me," he said, practically parroting what she had thought earlier about not being able to get by with a simple answer.

"What am I hiding?" she asked suspiciously.

"Oh, I don't know, but somethin' tells me it has somethin' to do with pointy ears and green skin," he said, wiggling the one eyebrow he still had.

Her heart immediately began to race at the mention of pointy ears and green skin. _He knew_?

She momentarily panicked, which was apparent because her eyes widened to the point where they could have rolled out of their sockets.

"So…" he took a good, long pause. "You gonna make a move or not?" he elicited slyly.

Now she looked as though she was about to rip his head off, or rather, unscrew it and through it into the sea. But with a loud grunt, she stood up and left without another word. No, it would seem that she could never find peace in this place. God, he sure knew how to push her buttons. She felt his snooping eyes on her as she headed towards the stairwell. But after careful consideration, she let up on her frustration. She _knew_ he would not tell anyone else. It was just the bond they shared. But still, she was robbed of her solitude.

He silently watched as she disappeared into the stairwell and then smiled to himself proudly. He could not resist. "Booyah."

He had known for quite a while. It was nothing major, at least not yet, but he could see her developing crush. The subtle brightening in her mood when the changeling was around, the forced frowns she made whenever he told a joke that she supposedly thought was not funny, and how she always seemed to stick close to him. The fact that Cyborg knew about her crush on the impulsive teen scared her, but Cyborg respected her privacy. Liking the little pain-in-the-neck was her burden, so he would let her deal with it.

Raven would have blown-up in his face if he had been anyone else. He was sure glad to witness such a priceless reaction. The advantages of their relationship were endless; his idea worked and he successfully got the roof to himself. Sure, he enjoyed the company, but with all the fighting that has been going on, some respite was all he required.

* * *

**A/N's:**

_**(1) "Fortress of solitude":**_ A reference to the Superman comics. I have not actually read the comics, but I've seen the movies and I've seen this reference used outside of Fanfiction.

Not much to say except I had a lot of fun with this one. So go review and read some more. :)


	8. 07: Falling Clouds

**Disclaimer: Come on, if I owned the Teen Titans, would I really be sitting here writing stories?**

**Rating: K**

* * *

_/edited: 3 December 2009_

**Falling Clouds**

"Hey Starfire, grab a coat and follow me," he said from the other side of her door. Starfire was confused as to why her teammate, Robin, would ask her this. She learned that on Earth a coat was a garment that humans wore to insulate heat during periods of cold temperature. Robin had explained Earth's seasons to her (on more than one occasion), and now it was near the end of one Earth year during the period known as winter. It was cold indeed, as indicated by the thermometer on the wall.

She was in bed when he knocked on her door. The clock on her nightstand read 2:12am, adding to the mystery of why he woke her up. Once she threw on one of the coats she bought at the mall of shopping, she staggered her way to the door and opened it with the push of the button. Through her dreary eyes, she saw him standing there with a coat of his own and a warm smile. He did not look the slightest bit drowsy. This, like many other things about him, escaped her understanding.

Robin examined her to make sure she was properly dressed… or to make sure she could even stand on her own without dosing off. After completing his inspection, Robin waved a hand, motioning for her to follow. They walked through corridors of their home for a few minutes until finally coming to the end of a long hallway. There was a steel door designated "Stairwell R1".

Starfire blinked lazily at the door. She had never been to this portion of their home and she did not know where these stairs led. The living sector was near the top of the giant tower, so if they were going upstairs, they could not be going very far.

Robin turned the handle on the door and paused to look back at Starfire before opening it. He smiled softly and continued. She saw that the stairs only led up and hesitated before following him. This, however, was mostly because her mind wasn't working at full capacity due to the interruption of her slumber.

While walking up the stairwell, Starfire noticed there were no other doors, so that meant this stairwell had only one destination. Thankfully, Robin kept a slow, easy pace as to not get too far ahead and lose her completely. Maybe that's why it seemed to take just a little too long to go up the few flights of stairs that there were.

When they reached the top, Robin paused once more and turned back to her. "Ready?" he asked.

"There is something I was to prepare for and I was not informed?" she inquired confusedly.

"Not exactly," he chuckled and pushed on the handle of the door. She saw the nighttime sky behind him and a surprisingly brisk breeze rushed in.

Starfire was glad he had suggested bringing a coat, but she still wondered what he was planning. "Robin, are we to go outside? It is most…" She shivered. "…freezing."

"Come up here and take a closer look."

She did as she was told and walked the last remaining steps up to the frame of the doorway. Robin moved out of the way to allow her a better view and flipped a switch that turned on a whole mass of outdoor lights.

She gasped at what she saw and brought her hands to her chest. "Robin! The clouds are falling!" she exclaimed. She was clearly alert _now_.

He chuckled yet again. He knew she would react this way, and he always thought it was cute when she did. "They aren't falling. It's snowing," he said calmly so she would know that this was nothing to panic over.

"Snowing?" Starfire echoed as she watched the millions of fluffy, white specks make their lazy journey from the clouds above to the ground.

It was her first snowstorm on Earth, let alone her first winter, and she had never seen anything like this in her life. Robin guessed this from her descriptions of her home planet, Tamaran, so he decided to tune into the weather forecasts just to plan this moment. The latest report said a heavy storm would set over Jump City between midnight and the wee hours of the morning. And for once, the weatherman was right, for which Robin was extremely thankful.

"Yeah, snow," he began. "During the winter when it gets really cold, or more specifically, below thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit, the water in the clouds sometimes freezes and becomes heavy enough so that it eventually falls as tiny ice crystals, which we have come to know and love as snow." Robin really enjoyed being the one to explain to her the many things she still did not know about Earth. The feeling he got from this was something he couldn't really explain, but it was definitely a good feeling. That's all that mattered.

Starfire watched the snowfall with peculiar fascination. She cautiously exposed her hand to the outside air and studied the small hexagonal crystals that were landing and melting on her palm. At first, she squinted, trying to figure out the minuscule geometric patterns on the tiny flakes. Then she sniffed them, curious to see if they exuded an odor that was any different from the rain she had seen all during the summer months. All the while, Robin was watching her intently, amusement flittering across his face. Then she turned to him and asked, "May I taste the snow?"

"Sure go ahead…" he replied.

He grabbed her wrist before she could even get her hand to her eager tongue.

"…but you won't get much out of it if you do it that way," he finished.

And with that, he pulled her out from the safety of the tower and onto the exposed rooftop where the snow began collect and layer.

"Trying catching some on your tongue," Robin suggested and quickly demonstrated by sticking his out and letting a few flakes land on it.

She complied and she stuck her tongue out as far as she could. Robin was glad that this first snow was going to be a good one; the flakes were actually big enough to feel when they landed on his tongue. Every child that lives in the right area has done this at least once, and in a way, Starfire was still a child, seeing that she knew as much about the world of Earth as a five-year-old child.

She giggled as the cold substance tickled her tongue. "I find this more enjoyable than the rain," she said happily.

"Yeah, it's not as wet," Robin agreed. He joined in the little activity too. As a child, he really never got to experience these things the way all other kids did.

Starfire gazed up at the dark sky. Even though the sun was far off from rising, she could still see the clouds in the dark sky from where the newly found, fluffy delicacy was originating. The reflection of the spotlights on the falling snow provided a beautiful sight that she could not bring herself to look away from even though the small falling particles pestered her eyes.

Seeing Starfire experience something for the first time was a new experience for Robin as well.

A few minutes passed by as new fond memories were formed. Then Starfire spoke. "Robin, I thank you for bringing me here." Her voice was gentle and warm.

"You're welcome," he said. "Thank you… thank you for being here. Being with us… with me."

His relaxed tone comforted Starfire and she proceeded to hug him gently, totally unlike her usual forceful hugs. Neither of them thought much of it though; it was Starfire's way of greeting, leaving, and thanking, but it would eventually become something else that was unbeknownst to them at the time.

After Starfire shivered from another gust of icy wind, Robin figured it was time to go inside. Starfire followed closely behind as they made their way back down "Stairwell R1" and through the long corridors that led back to the living sector of the tower.

"Goodnight," Robin said when they reached Starfire's room.

She pressed the button on the wall and the door opened. She stepped through, stopping when she cleared it and then turning to face him. They were both greeted with a sweet smile.

"Goodnight, Robin," she responded and closed the door.

She crawled back into her circular bed and nestled in the covers. Once she was nice and cozy, she rested her head on the comfy pillow. However, she was not tired anymore, so she settled on reminiscing the time she had just spent on the roof. 'Oh, the wonders of snow,' she thought.

In his own room, Robin crawled back into his bed and nestled in the covers. Once he was nice and cozy, he rested his head on the comfy pillow. However, he was still not tired, not even after getting up at 2:00am. It was now 2:47am. So he settled on reminiscing the time he had just spent on the roof. 'Oh, the wonders of Starfire,' he thought.

* * *

**A/N's:**

Eh, could have happened. ;)

This basically took place in between when the Titans formed and the first episode of the series. It maybe too early for them to feel even just _that_ much towards each other, but this was something the little voice in my head was begging me to write.

The comments are much appreciated, so, thanks to all that have responded!


	9. 08: At Sunset

**Disclaimer: Come on, if I owned the Teen Titans, would I really be sitting here writing stories?**

**Rating: K**

* * *

_/edited: 22 December 2009_

**At Sunset**

"What do you see in a sunset, Robin?"

At first the question sounded unadulterated, but it soon became quite puzzling once he thought about it. Robin stood at the very edge of the roof, looking out beyond the land into the distance. The sun was making its approach towards the horizon as the sky around it captured the light and presented it as its own.

"That's a good question," was all he could say.

"Well?" she prompted.

Robin knew it would not be a good choice to be coy, so he pondered a good long while on the subject.

He eventually found an answer he liked. "I see a fire slowly dying, signaling the end of one day in order make way for the new beginnings of the next day."

"That's very insightful," she commented.

"Perhaps." He shrugged. "Why? What do you see in a sunset, Raven?" Robin turned to study the empath standing next to him.

She closed her eyes and held her arms close. "It's always different for me," she said somewhat solemnly.

Raven always had a habit of trying to relay as little information as possible. If Robin wanted an explanation, he would have to ask for it.

"Like?"

"Sometimes I see a temporary distraction from the stress life gives me. Sometimes I see hope leaving with the sun and giving us darkness."

"Is it always so negative to you?" he inquired.

Raven shook her head. "Despite what you may think, no. Sometimes I just see a calm end to another day that has come to pass."

"Then what do you see right now?"

"A beautiful array of colors in a calm sky. It's natural occurrences like these that tell me it's important to not take such wonderful things for granted."

Robin watched as her eyes moved slowly, panning across the evening sky. He could not tell if she was hinting at something or if she was simply taking in one of the many beauties the Earth has to offer.

"Yeah, sometimes you just have to stop and smell the roses," he said, deciding not to pry at Raven.

She looked at him awkwardly.

"I hate to be cliché, but it's true. I know from experience. I think you know what I'm talking about."

"Yes, I know what you are talking about," Raven replied, remembering Robin's intrinsic obsession with the criminal mastermind Slade, even after his demise.

Robin continued looking out at the sky. "There's just something about sunsets."

"I thought you were a sunrise person," she said in her normal manner.

But when Robin turned to look at her again, he saw that she had a slight smile. In response, Robin also smiled; glad to see her minute show of placidity.

"I am, but I'm still allowed to like sunsets too, aren't I?" he asked lightheartedly.

Raven's smile broadened a bit. "I suppose so."

They both turned back to the sunset as the conversation came to a blithe end.

The sun was just grazing the surface of the horizon. It shined a deep red that gave everything a similar glow, adding a surreal atmosphere to the evening. The water reflected every color of the light, making a mirrored blend of reds, oranges, and yellows on the shimmering bay below the tower. The air was thick with long, streaky clouds that were illuminated with the sun's light, making extravagant patterns across the sky for miles. A single cloud passed in front of the sun, dividing the majestic orb into two slithers of red.

Raven drew in the peaceful air and let it reside in her lungs for a few moments. She felt purified with each and every breath. Sometimes she found herself wishing sunsets like this would never end. Today the sunset was good for her; there was no false sense of relief, no departing hope. She stood there motionlessly as the sun continued to lower itself into the horizon.

All of this reminded her of something. "I think this was bound to happen," she remarked.

"Pardon?" Robin asked, looking at her questioningly.

"Before we met up here at sunrise; that time you helped me with something. I think it was a matter of time before we met at the exact same place again at the opposite point in the day."

Robin realized how uncanny this was for them to have another alone, unplanned meeting like this, except at sunset instead of sunrise.

Robin figured he should ask. "Except this time didn't start on the same circumstances?"

"Not exactly," she supplied vaguely.

"Not exactly? What does that mean?" Robin questioned.

Raven tensed up a little. "It doesn't matter."

"Sure it does," he countered.

"Don't worry about it. Things are fine now." She held the monotonous tone Robin remembered hearing from her whenever she secluded herself from her friends.

"Raven, you can't give me an obscure answer and expect me to forget about it…"

She sighed in defeat. "Tonight I saw the sunset from inside the tower and I began thinking of those times they hadn't been a positive part of my life."

Robin was about to speak, but Raven interrupted.

"And if you're wondering, I don't want to talk about that," she added in a stern, but level tone.

"Okay, we don't have to get into that," he said resignedly.

"Thanks," she replied softly.

Robin knew her very well. If she explicitly stated that she did not want to talk about something, it was best not to pursue the topic. While the natural progression of time had cause Raven to become more open with him, he knew there were certain qualities of Raven that would never allow her to completely lower her barriers. Not to anyone. Whether it was because she was shameful and wanted to forget about it or if it haunted her enough, she would never want to talk about it. She tried to keep her burdens to herself.

She suddenly spoke again. "Though now, this sunset is also telling me that there are always opportunities to make new beginnings."

She regained that more light tone that told Robin she was not going to let thoughts of the past ruin this moment. She smiled at him again and he smiled back as the sun gave its final breath before disappearing below the dark horizon.

* * *

**A/N's:**

Thanks for reading! I can't tell if I like this story or not, but I wanted to do it.


	10. 09: Heights

**Disclaimer: Come on, if I owned the Teen Titans, would I really be sitting here writing stories?**

**Rating: K **

* * *

_/edited: 24 November 2009_

**Heights**

Heights… if there was one classic fear that he had, it was definitely heights. As many times as he had swung high above the ground with his grappling hook, as many times as he had jumped from some daring height, he still felt his stomach form a knot… he still felt his heart race and his lungs struggle for a breath of air. Out of everything he had ever feared, heights was the only one that clung to him.

He stood but a mere inch from the very edge of the roof, peering down at the rugged shoreline and the pounding waves far below the soles of his feet. The gap between the two solid grounds seemed infinite, and as much as his logic told him to keep a safe distance from the unguarded edge, he couldn't help but feel that some unknown power was using his muscles against his own will, drawing him closer to the side. Just the sight of the drop threw off his usually impeccable sense of balance, causing him to sway back and forth. The powerful updraft from the rising air might have been the only thing preventing him from tumbling over the side to the unforgiving ground below.

And just to think, that in different situations, he would experience these feelings and thoughts in but a few seconds. In battle, you're hardly given a second to think before you have to act; there is no time for hesitation. If it means saving your life or someone else's, you must do what _must_ be done.

To Robin, facing your fears was one of the most valuable lessons he could have ever learned. However, he had not realized it until he was taken under the wing of the famous Bruce Wayne. That lesson was the basis of Bruce's creation "The Batman". When Robin first learned of his mentor's secret, he asked, "Why do you call yourself Batman?" The callous man gave the young Robin a smile, but it has hardly cheerful.

"Alfred once asked me that," he recalled.

"And what did you tell him?" Robin inquired, his question left unanswered.

**(1) **"Because bats scare me…"

Now, as he ruminated on his past, standing at the edge of the roof, Robin felt that he could accomplish almost anything. He always pushed past whatever held him back and solved whatever problem that faced him. Fear was part of being able to do what he had to do. Without it, he was nothing. He had lived his whole life facing it, becoming stronger, more confident, and truly in tune with himself. His own fears motivated him to accomplish anything.

But, even with this realization forever with him, Robin could not deny one thing; he hated fear. He absolutely despised it. If only he was able to conquer anything _without_ those horrible qualms. How he wished he could stand on this ledge and laugh defiantly at the ground that was more than a hundred feet away.

Escaping his trance, he turned from his personal demon and began walking towards the center of the roof where there would be nothing but solidity around his feet. As he did this, he thought about himself. More about people's perception of him, actually. He could remember Beast Boy jokingly, but good-naturedly, referring to him as the Titans' "fearless leader". Robin laughed in spite of himself. His self-critical nature got the best of him, so he began to wonder. What kind of great leader lets himself be disturbed by something as insignificant as heights? What kind of great leader situates himself in a home that accentuates what he was afraid of? Well, Bruce Wayne was a great mentor, was he not? Not even the aggravation he caused Robin could make him deny this fact. Bruce situated himself deep within a cold, melancholy cave and every time Robin entered it, it chilled him to his core. Above all, this gloomy setting was home to Bruce's most influential fear… bats. Robin could not even compare his abode to that of Batman's.

He caught his irrationality at this thought; he was being too harsh on himself. Of course, this was not uncommon of him. He was allowed to hate fear, but in layman's terms, he had to just suck it up and deal with it. Deal with it as he was taught to do. And as he had thought before; without fear, he was nothing. But he had it, and he utilized it to its fullest. He just never looked upon it in this light before.

His hand was on the knob of the entrance door of the staircase leading back inside the tower. He turned it slowly, but stopped himself just as the latch inside the door clicked. His attention was brought back to the spot where he previously stood. The sight of the solid ground ending, leaving nothing but the open air beyond it, entranced him once more. His grip on the doorknob intensified as he hesitated. Fear; it was a part of him, so why try to escape it?

Robin smiled faintly and reached for his grappling hook… he decided he was going to take the short way down.

* * *

**A/N's: **

Just goes to show you; people are not always as they seem.

**(1)** If you noticed, the one section where Robin remembers what Bruce told him is a reference to the movie _Batman Begins_. It fit quite well into what I had in mind for this.

Thanks for reading (like always)!


	11. 10: Silent Night

**Disclaimer****: Come on, if I owned the Teen Titans, would I really be sitting here writing stories?**

**Rating****: K+ (because of like two places where I use "hell" or "ass")**

**Pre-notes****:** First things first… wow. Just complete and utter WOW. I never anticipated something like this. If you haven't noticed yet, look at your scroll bar. It's probably very tiny. In spirit of Christmas, I decided that I would write a Rooftop moment dedicated to the holiday, but I ran into a problem; I just kept writing, and writing, and writing, and so on and so forth. I started writing this on December 22nd and it was meant to be posted on the 24th or 25th… haha. It is now January 1st, 2008. Oh well, think of this as a late Christmas gift… or a way to put yourself in denial so it still feels like holiday time. Yeah, I really expanded upon this one.

Anyway, onto a general type thing I'd like to point out. For those of you who enjoy Raven as a solemn character involved in a more angsty plot, then this story may not be for you (It's a holiday story, get over it :P). I am a fan of seeing Raven open up, and this story brings out the tenderness Raven is a capable of when she's actually _given the opportunity_ to be that way.

* * *

_/edited: 19 June 2011_

**Silent Night**

From the blackness of the night sky, billions of tiny, white show flakes floated lazily towards the Earth. The ground was already thoroughly blanketed with a thick layer of fresh snow. Jump City seemed like a completely different place when the snow hid its cold, gray streets and dressed the roofs of its stoic buildings. A true winter was a scarcity in this region, so a full foot of snow was a remarkable sight for its inhabitants, especially on Christmas Eve.

A clock of an old church chimed off in the distance, somewhere in the middle of the city. From the rooftop of Titan's Tower, Raven heard the rich-toned bell call out to her eleven times before disappearing back into the city. She held her palms out in front of her, facing them up towards the sky. She studied the miniscule crystals of ice that landed on her hands without any feeling of impact. They melted away within a few seconds, creating vacancy for each new flake. She would have to slip her gloves back on in a minute though; the air was icily cool and the warmth she had gathered from inside the tower was slowly but steadily being sucked away from her already pale fingertips.

As she began to walk the perimeter of the roof, she listened to the sound of the snow crunching under every light step of her boots. It was a sound that seemed to cut through the air. Everything was so still. There was no trace of wind or any sort of breeze, for that matter, and the bay was calm. No activity could be heard from the depths of the city. All of the people and good little boys and girls were fast asleep, safe and sound, waiting for Old Saint Nicholas to come by their homes with his eight reindeer and giant sack full of toys.

A slight smile formed on Raven's face, but it was empty. She wondered what growing up among earth children would have been like—going to sleep with the gleaming joy and anticipation of the coming Christmas morning, and perhaps with the hope that in the middle of the night, she would hear the jolly man with the rosy cheeks and belly that shook like Jell-O whenever he gave his deep, hearty laugh. It seemed she would never truly know what the Christmas cheer was all about, to her dismay.

But as Raven's mind returned to the sound of the snow being crunched, she thought of how eerie it was and how at the same time the atmosphere was so serene. Snow was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen, but in her ears, it offered no sound to complete the ambiance.

She kept walking until she saw that the snow in her path had already been treaded upon. Back where she had been standing previously, she lifted her hand and focused her energy on a small patch of snow at the edge of the roof. With a fluid wave of her wrist, the black energy of her magic encased the snow and slid it off the side of the tower, creating a clear spot for her to set herself down on. When she sat, she swung her legs over the side and began swaying them back and forth.

**-X-X-X-**

Beast Boy winced as the door handle clicked. He was afraid she might have heard, so he froze in place. This was not far from being literal; the stairwell was quite the chilly place. Unfortunately, the heating system was not designed to reach this part of the tower due to its direct connection to the outside.

As Beast Boy sat there, motionless, he eventually remembered that he had very acute hearing, so maybe that click of the door did not reach her ears. It also helped that she was much further away from it. Besides, the door had not been forcibly opened by a black wave of energy yet, so it was safe to say that Raven remained unaware of his presence. Then again, she may have sensed him anyway and was just humoring him while he attempted to remain unnoticed. Either way, he was going to continue with his current course of action.

He was prepared. Half an hour ago, he heard movement outside of the door to his room, which was unusual because even the Titans went to bed a little earlier on Christmas Eve. To get a better listen, he went to the door and put his ear by the space between it and the floor. Footsteps. They were light, almost as if they were nonexistent. Instantly, he knew they were Raven's. There was no doubt in his mind. After living in one place with the same four people for a few years, and with his heightened senses, Beast Boy eventually learned how to identify them just by the sounds they made, even through their movements. However, Raven always confused him, and oddly enough, this is what made her more identifiable than the others. How could her footsteps possibly be that light? Was she not actually touching the ground or something? Did she have some kind of field of energy around her body separating her an atom's-width away from any surface? As impossible as that should have seemed, he still considered it. He learned that with Raven, the word 'impossible' never seemed appropriate. Well, one thing was easy to understand: Raven always had something about her to keep him wondering.

Beast Boy, being his curious self, transformed into a fly and flew outside his room to see what she could have been doing. He saw her walking down the hall, ever so lightly, slipping on a pure white winter coat. By a careful process of deduction, he _cleverly _deduced that she was going outside. So, Beast Boy decided to slip on his own winter attire and go along with Raven. It was not because he wanted to bother her. No, of course it was not that. The excitement of the coming morning kept him from the grasps of sleep, and he was in the mood for some company. This, however, did not mean that he would not try to have a little fun at her expense. He had that 'Beast Boy' image to maintain… did he not?

So there he was, sitting behind the door leading to the rooftop, waiting to make sure if it was safe to proceed. Gently, he pushed the door outward. Luckily, a lip extended from the roof over the doorway, so the snow did not pile up in front of it. When the door was open enough for him to slide through, he first peered through the small window in the door to see if Raven was where he saw her before. Indeed, she was still sitting there facing the city and the bay.

That is when he had his brilliant idea. Beast Boy knew she would hear him if he attempted to take any sort of step outside. The snow that had fallen was heavy with moisture; it would compact under his feet with a very loud crunch, if his memory of snow served him correctly. He also knew very well that he could just morph into some kind of flying insect and sneak up on her that way, but that is not how he wanted to make his presence known.

He noted how very quiet it was. Not even those acute ears of his could pick up the sound of the tiny snowflakes joining their brethren on the ground. That crunch from his feet would definitely rat him out.

So as quietly as possible, with his knee keeping the door from closing, Beast Boy knelt down and scooped his gloved hands into the snow. The wet snow made for perfect conditions. Squeezing his hands together, he felt the mass of snow become denser and more solid. The natural curves of his hands made it easy to fashion a ball just from pressing them around the snow.

Once he had a compact ball, he took it into one hand and returned his view to the ever-still Raven sitting on the edge of the roof. As he figured before, she might have known he was there this whole time, but it did not mean he would not test this theory. He took careful aim, cocked back his arm, and hurled the ball through the air.

The sight of the snow had captured all of Raven's attention. She watched as the snowflakes came into her view from high above, fell in front of her wondering eyes, and dropped down until she lost them within the crowd of other snowflakes making their way to the beach below. She was raising her head back to the sky when something hit her square on the back. The object did not hurt her, but the sudden impact was enough to cause a loud yelp to escape her lips and the surrounding snow on the roof to explode with a burst of dark energy. She scrambled to her feet to get away from the edge of the roof. At about that same time she heard a fit of laugher coming from the center of the roof. She turned towards the sound and was greeted with the sight of Beast Boy curling over, one hand around his stomach and the other propping him up against the doorframe of the stairwell. No doubt, a snowball was his method of surprise.

"What the _hell_ do you think you are doing!" she yelled at him.

Beast Boy straightened himself up, but did not stop laughing. With a taunting wave of his hand, he replied with "Hey, Raven!"

She struggled to get a good view of him through the falling snow—the storm was picking up a little.

"You know I'm going to kill you, right!" she threatened. Whether she was serious or not, Beast Boy could not tell, but he did not falter.

"What are you doing out here!" he called back, starting to approach her and ignoring her words. "It's freezing!"

"Oh yeah, and throwing a snowball at me will make me feel _much_ warmer," she remarked sarcastically.

Beast Boy scooped another handful of snow into his hands as he walked towards her.

"If you're thinking about throwing another one at me you should know that you've signed your own death warrant," she threatened one more time.

By the time he reached her, he finished making the snowball. "Honestly, I didn't think I'd hit you," he said, casually ignoring her. "Besides, this one's for you."

Beast Boy lifted her hand and turned her palm over to place the newly made snowball in it. Raven watched his eyes the whole time he made this maneuver, expecting some witty trick.

Taking a few steps back, Beast Boy widened his stance and spread out his arms. "Go ahead, hit me. It's only fair." Then he closed his eyes tightly in anticipation of a blow to the face. What had he gotten himself into?

"No, I won't do that," she said softly.

"Oh?" he said, opening his eyes. "Why not?"

Just then, Raven's face twisted into a mischievous grin as she crossed her arms and slowly pointed an index finger toward the top of his head. At that moment, Beast Boy noticed that his head felt significantly colder than it had been a few seconds ago. His hands shot to his long, wavy hair and frenetically felt around for the snowcap he had put on before. It was gone. A short whistle from Raven grabbed his attention. He noticed that she was twirling the hat around that very same index finger, but then she lifted her other one and this time she pointed to a spot a little higher above his head. Slowly, he cocked his head back and looked to where she was gesturing. He knew he should not have, but he did and it was too late. Incased in black energy was an enormous mass of snow, and just as his eyes widened in fear, the black encasement vanished and the snow came crashing down right on top of him, sending him to the ground.

In the few seconds after his catastrophe, Beast Boy lay there on his back, frozen and gawking at the black sky. Raven could not help sniggering just a little bit. She brought a hand to her mouth and laughed into it quietly. As if it were on a ratchet, Beast Boy's head quivered back to a level position and he eyed Raven sharply. He spit out some snow that had made its ways into his mouth, which caused Raven lose the restraint on her laughter for a split second. She quickly pursed lips before any damage could be done, and then took a deep, controlled breath.

"Since when have you been Miss 'Queen of Pranks'?" he asked, not amused by his indubitable defeat.

"I get my laughs from the pain and suffering of others," she jested at him, still allowing herself to grin.

"Oh, ha-ha," Beast Boy said with his own sarcasm, starting to get up. He struggled as he lifted his legs out from the knee-deep snow around him.

Raven made her way over to him, stopping mere inches away. He eyed her this time as she had eyed him before, expecting some witty trick. She then brought her hand back up, causing him to recoil into a defensive position. She held his hat out to him.

Though it was quite hard to, she suppressed her laughter. "You want your hat back?" she asked nonchalantly.

Beast Boy snatched it out of her grasp and fitted it back on his head to his likings, but then he smiled. "Okay, I gotta admit. That was pretty good."

She simply shrugged.

"And you're in a good mood!" he added teasingly. "What's up with that?"

"I never got to experience snow like most other kids did. And as long as we've lived in Jump City, I can't recall it ever snowing like this. This is pretty amazing," Raven explained, ignoring the comment.

"Yeah," Beast Boy agreed, "all we ever get here is rain or nothing at all. This is so cool, especially since it is Christmas Eve. Looks like we'll finally have a true White Christmas."

Raven cocked an eyebrow. "White Christmas? From the look of things, I can only guess that means snow on Christmas day?"

Beast Boy looked at her, surprised. "Um, yeah, that's right… you've never heard that before?"

She looked back at him critically. "I was born and raised in Azarath, Beast Boy. Although it may seem like I do, I still do not know every phrase and expression created by man."

Not wishing to argue, Beast Boy just nodded. "Okay, fair enough," he replied simply.

Raven started walking away from him and he immediately followed. She continued with what she was explaining before. "I was up here for awhile just taking in this atmosphere. It's so relaxing." As she walked, she listened to the crunching of the snow under her feet again. "Though it's kind of weird because it's so quiet. Just listen…"

Raven stopped at the edge of the roof again and closed her eyes. Beast Boy stopped moving and just looked at Raven through the thick snowflakes that separated the air between them. He concentrated on two things. The first being how right she was; even with his keen sense of hearing, he could not make out any sort of definite sound. He may have heard the waves crashing on the shore of the Titans' island, but the water was so calm; there was no way for him to be certain if he was really hearing it. The second thing that Beast Boy concentrated on was the girl standing some five yards in front of him at the edge of the tower. It was like an artistic portrait. Off in the distance, the dim lights in the city softly illuminated the silhouettes of its buildings and reflected on the pitch-black water of Jump Bay. And there was Raven standing with her back to him, her long hair flowing down out of a light blue snowcap, just short of her elbows. The violet strands stood out against her white winter coat, which contrasted again to her tight, navy blue denim jeans that she had tucked into her white snow boots. Around her neck she wore a long scarf that matched the blue of her cap. All of that which he saw was broken up by the snow that fell around them.

With a shake of his head, Beast Boy broke his trance and slowly walked up next to her and he too looked out over the bay and the city.

After taking in a moment's cleansing breath, Beast Boy finally spoke again. "It's a Silent Night," he said levelly.

Raven turned to face him. "You mean like the hymn?"

He nodded. "Yeah. It's a pretty song."

"I've heard it," Raven said, gazing back out at the snow-covered city.

"Too bad it wasn't composed for nights like this," he thought aloud. "But what we're seeing and, well, _not_ hearing right now reminded me of it."

Raven could not find anything to say for a response, so she just nodded. But inside, she was very proud of Beast Boy; his thoughts were leading to relevant and insightful connections. The young man she stood next too was no more than two years younger than she was, but he had never even seemed that old either. Mature, rather. And now here they were: having a real, meaningful conversation. Of course, Beast Boy was inseparable with a few key traits, but without them, he would just not be Beast Boy. If he had just plainly walked up to her said, "Hello, Raven, mind if I join you?" she would have suspected something was wrong. But no, he ambushed her in the normal Beast Boy fashion. It was just that nowadays he was completely tolerable, which, at the start of their friendship, she would have never expected in a million years. Plus with the overcoming of her destiny, she was allowed to be more open with her emotions. She had gained more control of her powers as well as herself and her thoughts. Just as time could heal wounds, it could also bring together people that were never close before. They were by no means two peas in a pod, but they were friends now. She could never get annoyed with him as much as she used to, and he had learned well enough the consequences of approaching her incorrectly. So now, instead of blowing up at him whenever he played some trick… or threw a snowball at her… she just played his own game. He seemed to get a kick out of it… or a mouth full of snow.

Silence passed between them. They stood side by side, looking out over what they could still see. The snow had begun falling faster in larger clumps than before. It had been intensifying slowly for the past several minutes, but only now was the change noticeable.

Just then, Raven thought of something to get the conversation going again. The snow was starting to put her in more of a trance than her own thoughts were. "You heard from me," she began. "What made you decide to come up here?"

The snow seemed to have a similar entrancing effect on him as it took him a few seconds to register Raven's question. "Oh, um," he stammered once he started thinking about his answer.

"Is it really that difficult a question to answer?" she asked and turned her whole body towards him.

"Well actually, I came up here because you did," he finally replied.

"Pardon?" she said, caught off guard.

"I heard you outside my room, so I did a little spy work by turning into a fly. I flew out of my room and saw you wearing that coat and everything. Well, I didn't feel like going to bed yet either, so I came up to see if you wanted company."

Raven thought she heard something odd in his answer, so she replayed it in her head several times. Presently, Beast Boy watched her carefully, seeing that something had caught her attention. She was looking down, but only at a slight angle. She probably was not actually focusing on anything. When she figured out what that odd something was, her head snapped back up and she rigidly stared Beast Boy in the eyes.

"Wait a minute," she said. "You said that you heard me outside your room..." She paused.

"Yeah?" Beast Boy quirked his eyebrows and waved his hand in a motion that told her to "spit it out".

"How did you know it was me if you didn't see me first?" she finally continued.

"I said I heard you," he explained as if it should have been pure logic.

"You knew it was me by what you _heard_? What did you even hear?" she asked incredulously.

Then Beast Boy avoided her gaze as a pink tinge appeared on his green cheeks. "You have a very light step."

She stared at him awkwardly, as if he had somehow gained Starfire's esoteric knowledge of how many atoms were in one kilogram of oxygen.

She eventually regained her composure and realized she was staring. "Umm," she said, not sure of what to say or make of his last comment.

"My hearing was improved a bit when I became like this," he said, gesturing at his pointed green ears. He then turned his attention back to the view across the bay. "I know it sounds creepy, but after being around you guys for so long, I've sort of learned how to identify you by your footsteps and even the way you breathe if I can't see you."

"No, that's quite interesting, actually," she submitted, trying to keep him from going into a dejected state of mind. With Beast Boy's animalistic powers, this ability was perfectly understandable.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure that it can be very useful," she commented.

With a small, goofy smile, Beast Boy shrugged innocently. Raven smiled back.

"Well, back to what I was originally getting at," she redirected the conversation, "you came up here because I did?"

Beast Boy offered a simple "mhmm." His mood was heading back to where it had first been, which made Raven relax. She had had a tendency to be tense when other people were, whether her empathic abilities played a role in it or not.

"Well, thank you. You've been surprisingly good company," she said, looking at him with a smirk.

He looked back at her and grinned. "I know, right? Am I a sweetheart or what?" he said smugly.

She furrowed her eyebrows at him as if he was pestering her. "Oh yeah, keep thinking that," she snorted in her sarcastic tone.

Beast Boy really enjoyed Raven's humor, actually. It had never been used right much in the past; always used at the expense of others, belittling them and diminishing enthusiasm. And that usually meant him. All she needed was someone to give her the chance to use her sarcasm in a good manner, he thought.

He was in a very good mood. Not to mention that it was Christmas Eve. He decided to jump topics to the one he thought would be most relevant for the current time…

"Man, it's almost Christmas!" he said cheerfully.

Raven smiled, but as awhile before, it was empty. She was glad he enjoyed the holiday season so much, but she wished she could too. It was the beautiful snowstorm that made her relaxed and almost carefree; this was the kind of atmosphere she wished surrounded her all the time. But was she happy? Christmas was just not the holiday for her.

"You didn't get me anything, did you?" Raven inquired suspiciously.

Beast Boy closed his eyes and sighed. "Come on, Raven, I don't get why—"

"_Did you?"_ she interrupted.

He sighed again. "No, don't worry; you won't have to put up a fight this year. We followed your orders and didn't buy or make you anything."

"Okay, good," she said, relieved.

"But Raven, now I'll feel so bad about getting something from you," he whined, almost in a childish manner. He hoped it would make her feel guilty.

Every year, Raven would refuse any sorts of gifts on Christmas, but then she would buy gifts for everyone else. Maybe she did it out of love. Maybe she just felt obligated to do it. Beast Boy did not know, but he did know that it would not be wise to ask about it directly. Raven had her ways and did not like them to be questioned. However, this issue was something he could not leave alone. Why was she so against receiving gifts when she bought them for everyone else?

"Just don't worry about it. I don't need anything. I'm fine," she tried to reassure, but to Beast Boy, she seemed awfully evasive.

He tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder, making sure if it was okay to do so. Touching Raven was something no one really did unless it was to catch her from a fall or move her out of the path of some attack. She was very conscious about her personal space, to say the least, but at this moment, she did not attempt to shake off his hand.

"Raven, that's not the point," he told her once he could tell that she was comfortable with his hand there. "This holiday has just been twisted so much over the years by commercialism that now it seem like the point is the gifts themselves. Personally, I think you get a present for someone because you want to, not because you're supposed to—because it makes you happy to do something nice for the people that are important to you."

"Important?" she asked shyly. Raven figured she must have been of _some_ importance to him; their years of friendship and teamwork had proven that, as well as it did with her other three friends. He was not speaking about her directly, but she could tell that it was implied. Hearing him actually say that without prompt offered much more verification than just having a feeling about it.

"Of course, Raven! You, Starfire, Cyborg, and Robin are all very important to me, and that's why on Christmas I either buy or make gifts for you guys. You all mean a lot to me… you're my family and it's just a small way to show how happy you make me. You know I feel that way about you… all I mean."

They gazed at each other yet again, but it was different this time. There was an appearance of concern in Beast Boy's dark emerald eyes and the creases of his expression. Raven's eyes themselves seemed to be deep in thought, shimmering faintly and darting back and forth between Beast Boy's. The snow fell between them with its ever eerily silent nature. Each of them had been gathering a small, frosty layer of snow that coated their shoulders and stuck to the fabric of their hats. The snow clung to Raven's flowing hair, slowly melting, but with every miniscule crystal that was lost, two more gladly replaced it. They could see the reflection of the snow falling between them in each other's eyes; it was as if the icy air had frozen them to glass orbs.

The air seemed to be caught in Raven's throat, chilling it, but she finally forced herself to break the silence. "Christmas just isn't my holiday, Beast Boy," she said quietly, reflecting her thoughts. "It was never meant to be."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Raven proceeded to sit down, having had enough standing. It was to get warm, more than anything else; standing up left her body uncomfortably open to the freezing air. She just wanted to keep the heat she had left within her _inside her_. Just as before, Raven used her magic to clear the even deeper snow from where she wanted to sit. She cleared another patch to allow Beast Boy to sit down next to her.

"I never experienced Christmas until I came to Earth and joined the Titans, so I've missed out on the times that make Christmas what it is to most people."

Beast Boy heeded this information with care; he wanted to get an understanding of this issue from Raven's point of view. He understood how she could feel out of place during a holiday she had not known for the majority of her life. She was still young though—she had plenty of time to become accustomed to it. Then again, it would never hold the same meaning for her as it did for many other people. She would never know the childhood experience of Christmas when it had its highest meaning. Once the magic of Santa Claus diminishes and life starts to require responsibility, the importance of the holiday begins to dwindle, but the memories would always be there keeping it alive for the next generations. For Raven, those memories never existed.

"And because of who I am, I have trouble accepting graciousness from others," she continued.

Beast Boy was about to say something but Raven preempted him and spoke before he could.

"My origins were of… less than holy circumstances. Even though I overcame that part of my existence, it will always be a part of me. It's my blood and it's who I am. I can't change that."

"You're talking about your connection with Trigon?" he asked for clarification.

"Exactly. Before, I had to decline kindness because I knew that if anyone became attached to me, I would cause him or her too much pain. It never felt right to accept the graciousness of others. I know we defeated Trigon, but I my feelings about this haven't changed. It still doesn't feel completely right to let others do such nice things for me. I don't think even a lifetime of giving will make me feel comfortable receiving."

"I guess I can see why you'd feel that way," he responded, not sure what else to say as he absorbed her words.

"Well, it's pretty much my nature, and if you don't mind, it would like it if you respect that."

She paused for a few seconds, but then the corners of her lips curled upwards. "Honestly, I'm content just knowing that I can share this time of the year with my friends. That's more than I could ask for and probably more than I deserve."

To Beast Boy, it was almost as if time resumed moving forward when he saw Raven smile again. He hated when melancholy moods ensued for such a long time. He instantly smiled back.

"Okay, no gifts. I will just have to make up for it by being a super-good friend. If you ask me, that's the very _least_ of what you deserve," he said warmheartedly.

"You don't have to worry about that. You've been a good friend to me this whole time. Thank you, again," Raven told him graciously.

Beast Boy's smile broadened even further.

"And you better be thankful that I took the time to explain all of that to you," she added dryly, but with years of 'Raven experience', he could tell that she was joking.

"Thank you, Raven, for taking the time to explain all of that to me," he parroted, still smiling widely at her. "I know you usually don't share that kind of information often, so I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to tell me."

Although she had said that with humor in mind, Beast Boy genuinely thanked her, his voice calm and kind. It was true that she did not normally share this kind of information liberally, but she felt it was time to get something else off her chest. Beast Boy was sincere to her, and that made her sincerely happy.

They sat in silence, again, and now the air between them was no longer tense, but calm and refreshing like before, albeit very cold. Now that they were not preoccupied with conversation, the effect of weather on their bodies finally became salient. The combination of winter, nighttime, and snow did not make for particularly comfortable temperatures.

"Hey, Raven?" Beast Boy said after awhile.

"Yes?"

"It's cold."

"No kidding."

"But I don't wanna go inside yet."

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Hmmm," Beast Boy said as he pondered. They needed to get warm somehow. Their clothing was helpful, but not the best suited to protecting them from the harshness of the current weather. The only solution he could think of was to do something active to warm their bodies. Then the light bulb in his head flickered on. If only that light bulb were real, because it shined so bright that it probably would have been a sufficient source of heat.

"I got an idea!" he exclaimed, jumped up, and grabbed Raven by the wrists and unceremoniously pulled her to her feet.

"Beast Boy! What are you doing?" she asked, flustered from the sudden burst of enthusiasm that poured into her.

He pulled her to the center of the tower, but Raven wondered if that was really necessary. The only difference was now there was even more snow around them.

"Do you think there's enough snow on the ground to cushion a fall?" he asked.

She looked down and saw that the snow was a few inches from the top of her boots. "Um, I think so, but why—"

Before she could finish, Beast Boy spread his arms and fell right into the snow flat on his back.

Raven just eyed him curiously. "Lying in it isn't going to make you any warmer…"

Beast Boy was always somewhat odd when he had bursts of enthusiasm like this. He talked and moved like if he were to stop, the world would continue turning past him or something.

"Have you ever made a snow angel before?" he asked, grinning his goofy grin, still lying in the snow with all of his limbs spread apart.

This was an example of when Raven became frustrated with him nowadays. She could just never figure out the right way to handle Beast Boy when he acted flighty. Nonetheless, she would rather deal with this than solemn things such as what they were talking about before.

"I can't say that I have," she replied tepidly.

"Well, you need to. Get down and make one," he ordered as he started to open and close his legs and flap his arms. "Moving your body will get you warmer."

Though she highly doubted that, she did as she was told and located a spot next to Beast Boy. Unlike him, however, she delicately placed herself on the snowy surface and gently reclined onto her back. She soon found that it was very difficult to hold her eyes open as the heavy snow began pelting her face. This was _definitely_ not the best way to get warm, but temptation set in; she had never made a snow angel before. She had seen them on cheerful television holiday specials. Ever since she first witnessed them on the television screen, their innocence and simplistic beauty attracted her. She had thought about what it would be like to make one herself, and now she finally had her chance.

Ignoring the strong coldness on her pale cheeks and nose, Raven closed her eyes, cautiously spread her legs and moved them as far apart as she could manage, then brought them back together. For good measure, she repeated this process several times.

"Awesome! Now you gotta do the other half."

Raven opened her eyes and, when the snow was not forcing her to shut them again, she saw Beast Boy standing at her feet, watching over her and smiling. She did not even hear him move from his spot.

Doing as he told her, Raven extended her arms out until they became perpendicular to her body, and with the same cautious motion, she moved them back down to her sides, and back up again.

Beast Boy bent forward a little and offered a hand down to her. "Watch yourself on the way out. You don't wanna ruin it. It's the worst when that happens," he informed her kindly.

Raven sat up and willingly took Beast Boy's hand. With a forceful tug that mildly surprised her, he pulled her out of the creation and to her feet without any hassle or damage done to it.

It had previously escaped Raven's mind that she was wearing denim, so as she brushed the snow off from her jeans and jacket, she realized that her pants would become wet in short time. This did not sit well with her, as she was supposed to be trying to get warmer. But as she turned around to look at her (hopefully) work of art, she momentarily forgot her grievances. There, an angel lie imprinted in the snow before her, unblemished and of pure whiteness that seemed to come from the heavens themselves.

"By the look on your face, I'd say you are happy with the results?" Beast Boy inquired, studying her expression and the glimmer in her eyes.

Raven continued to gaze at it. "Yes."

"There's nothing like getting something right on your first try," he said lightheartedly.

Raven simply nodded in agreement, still admiring her masterpiece.

"Even when it's something as small as making a snow angel," he added, chuckling a little bit. "I wasn't so lucky the first time I tried to make one… There was no one there to take my hand."

Raven smiled tenderly before turning to Beast Boy and suddenly grabbing him to pull him into a tight hug.

Beast Boy was thoroughly surprised, but he made no frantic actions. "Whoa! Who are you and what did you do with Raven?" he jested, although he was not _completely_ joking.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to make a snow angel," she said as she started to release him and put a small, comfortable distance back between them. "I had forgotten until now. Thank you."

"Heh, no problem," he said, rubbing the back of his head and smiling with his eyes closed in the usual Beast Boy manner. He did not know why exactly it was this big a deal to Raven, but it made her feel happy… and made her act very out of character. This would be a moment he would file under "successes of my life."

Just then, Raven shivered. The slight wetness on her jeans started to cool her skin notably. "I'm still cold. What else can we do?" she asked Beast Boy since he was the one that seemed to have the ideas. She hugged herself and curled over a little to try to retain heat.

Beast Boy supported an elbow in one of his hands and scratched his chin with the other. He pondered on what a good solution to fighting the cold would be without submitting to it and heading inside. He was not as cold as Raven, but he knew he had to think of something for her sake.

Then, just as before, the light bulb lit up. "Are your gloves fit for handling snow?" he asked spontaneously.

"Yes," she confirmed. Raven thought she might as well just see where he was heading without worrying about the "what" or the "why"—something she did not allow herself to do often.

Beast Boy crouched close to the ground. "Good, now come here," he commanded. Beast Boy started gathering lumps of snow in front of him and started packing it together.

Raven went to stand by him and watched curiously as he went about his business. It looked like he was making a snowball, but the clump of snow he was working with was much too large to be for one single snowball. Once he had a good-sized, round clump of snow compacted together, he stood up and faced Raven.

"The snow is just right for this," he said, pointing to the clump. "Now, I want you to roll this around the roof. It'll pick up more and more snow pretty easily and will eventually get hard to push. When you can't budge it at all, that's when you're done. Got it?"

He merely looked at her with that characteristic childish innocence that he had. It was quite the intriguing sight through the falling snow.

"Soooo, are we making a snowman?" she asked unsurely.

"Yeah!" he said excitedly. "A big-ass snowman! Believe me; pushing around snow gets to be hard work. Do it physically. No powers. It'll get you warm."

She just eyed him strangely.

"Come on! Get to it! I'm going to start another ball for another layer. I don't know about you, but I'm excited. I haven't made one of these in so long!"

And with that, Beast Boy went off to work on that next layer, so Raven went to the one he had already started and crouched low to the ground, but she paused to think for a while.

Even though she did not know exactly how to handle Beast Boy when he was behaving spastically, it made her content to see him like this. It was amazing how much her friendships had grown. She came to Earth believing the prospect of friendship to be preposterous. She never would she have thought she could care for anyone as much as she did for her four friends. And they seemed to care for her, they truly did.

She pushed her weight onto the round clump of snow and it began to roll forward, though a little haphazardly. Soon enough she built up momentum and started rolling the mass around the roof, noticing how little by little it increased in size and left a deep trail wherever she went with it. It would not have surprised her if the falling snow was even speeding up this process slightly. She figured the heart of the storm must have set itself directly over the city at this point because of how heavily it was snowing. A smile crept to her lips as she aimlessly walked along with the growing ball of snow in front of her.

As the years passed, Raven began to notice something about her relationships with her friends. She gradually found herself becoming happier and happier, even when she still had her destiny to face. There were many factors that contributed to her increasing happiness, but there was one that really made itself prominent: she cared for her friends as they did for her, and eventually seeing them happy started making her feel the same way. If she was in a bad mood, then the happiness of one of her friends would at least cheer her up some. She knew it was not just her powers either; the happiness felt like it flourished from within her body, not from an outside source. Now, seeing the pure, unadulterated pleasure of Beast Boy gave her the enthusiasm to enjoy things the way he did. She would have never wanted or have been able to do these things if it were not for his kindness and encouragement. He did not need to give her any physical item for Christmas; this was good enough.

Suddenly, Raven felt a jolt pass from the giant ball of snow, into her arms, and through her body. The ball had stopped moving and was incapable of going any further. She looked up from the ball and saw that it had collided with another one that had Beast boy standing behind it, who started to laugh lightly at their clumsiness.

They walked from behind their behemoths to stand in front of each other. They compared their snowballs. Much to his enjoyment, Beast Boy's ball was larger than Ravens.

He grinned. "I think they're both big enough. Looks like mine is the biggest, so it will be on the bottom," he bragged, nodding towards his accomplishment.

Raven picked up on his tone. "Well, since you're the big, _strong_ male, why don't you put mine on top of yours?" she countered.

"Can't you use your powers?" he pleaded.

"You said not to use them, if I do recall. So I guess you can't use them either," she countered again.

His grin flipped to a defeated frown. "You make it impossible for me to win. You know that, right?" He reconsidered one of his earlier thoughts. _This_ was one situation where the word impossible was appropriate.

"At least you can accept that as fact. For that, I commend you," she said slyly and folded her arms.

Beast Boy went over to Raven's snowball and began patting it with his hands to compact it a little more. What a waste it would have been if he went to pick it up and it fell apart in his hands.

"I thought you said to roll it until it wouldn't budge," she reminded him, starting to walk around the two snowballs.

"Eh, they'd be too heavy," he said. "I realized that as I was making mine. Good thing you crashed into me, or else I would've kept going."

"Who says I crashed into you?" she asked with a seemingly stern tone.

He looked up at her and just winked. Then he bent his knees, keeping his back straight, and crouched down low enough to put his hands as far underneath the massive ball as he could. The last thing he needed was to hurt his back the night before Christmas just from picking up a heavy object the wrong way. Once he felt he was well positioned, he squeezed his muscles and began to lift the ball. A few small grunts made it evident that the ball was arduous. It must have been between two to three feet in diameter and the wetness of the snow must have added to its weight. Nevertheless, he was able to lift it up without any help and put it on top of the other ball. With the both of them securely in place, Beast Boy stepped back and let out a big, gusty breath in a "phew".

"I guess I packed a lot of snow in there?" Raven said, figuring by the way Beast Boy looked.

"I'll say," he said. "I wasn't expecting that. I'll go make the head. Shouldn't take too long."

Raven waved him off, showing she had no problem with this. She looked at the two balls stacked behind her. They were already taller than she was, and she was around five and a half feet in height. Then she turned and saw Beast Boy rolling a ball of snow across the roof behind a screen of snow against the black sky. To her, it was almost a scene for a painting, except it would have been more fitting if Beast Boy were a toddler instead. He only _half_ fitted that part, she thought to herself, smiling.

When Beast Boy finally returned, he had a smoothly shaped ball that must have been evenly between one and two feet in diameter. This time, he had no trouble placing the ball on top of the other. The final product was a very well shaped snowman that exceeded both their heights by at least foot. It stood undauntedly underneath the night sky and caught the light coming from one of the roof's spotlights.

Beast Boy stood their proudly, but just then something occurred to Raven. "Hey, Beast Boy?"

"Yes?" he answered happily.

"Aren't snowmen supposed to have faces… and buttons… and arms… and maybe a top hat or something?"

With each different amenity that Raven listed, Beast Boy's lips curled downwards more and more. By the time she finished, his lips seemed to hang off his face.

"Aw man!" he exclaimed disappointedly, slapping a hand to his forehead.

Raven felt bad. He was so excited about doing this, and yet she managed to bring down his mood, even if it was by accident. And now more than ever, she was ashamed of doing so. Raven thought to the past. True, her past demeanor was what kept her emotions and powers in check, but she wondered if she was ever too careless of his feelings. She needed to reverse this situation somehow.

Staring from the crestfallen Beast Boy to the half-snowman, Raven contemplated on solutions. She could simply teleport throughout the tower to grab the necessities, but she seriously doubted that they had any carrots or coal (or anything appropriate, for that matter) lying around for them to use. Stumbling through the woods to find sticks did not seem too appealing either.

She knew she would be sacrificing what little warmth she had left, but in an instant of inspiration, Raven unwrapped her scarf from around her neck. Beast boy watched her curiously as she did this, wondering why since she had been the one that was freezing. Taking off clothing was _not_ going to help.

Taking the uncoiled scarf, she went up to the large figure and slung one end around its neck, pulled it tight, and fashioned it like she had it on her, albeit it was much smaller on the stout man of snow. Then she turned to Beast Boy and used her hands to present the improvement much like a gorgeous hostess would on a television game show.

The smile returned to Beast Boy's face. "There we go."

He decided to follow Raven's example, so he removed his hat from his head and placed it atop the head of the snowman. It hardly fit on the large head, but Beast Boy felt that the snowman needed something else. The lack of warmth on his head was greatly missed, but well worth it.

They both stood back and admired their creation once again. Just the small addition of their two articles of clothing made the snowman seem to spring to life.

"Wait," Raven said suddenly, "it's still missing one thing."

She went back up to the snowman and put an index finger to where a face should have been. She began tracing some lines into the surface and eventually it took shape. Before she was finished, she could hear laughter coming from Beast Boy. Grinning, she added the finishing touches to the new face's mouth, which had a large tongue sticking out to the side.

"Oh my god, Raven," Beast Boy said between a fit of laughter. "That's absolutely perfect!"

"It really does look like him, doesn't it?" she asked proudly.

Looking back at them was a portrait of Robin, except his mouth was oversized and the stuck-out tongue made for an exceptionally absurd, misconstrued rendition of the Boy Wonder.

"You have no idea how happy that makes me," Beast Boy said to her, still laughing mildly.

"I knew that would cheer you up," she replied warmly as she came to stand closely to him.

Out of the brisk air from within the depths of the city came a faint chime of a church bell. They immediately fell silent and turned their heads in the direction from which the sound came. It was the first sound that Beast Boy heard come from off the tower. Though Raven heard the chimes before, it was still a surprise to hear them again. The silent night was finally speaking back.

After the twelfth chime, Beast Boy turned to Raven. "Merry Christmas," he said softly.

Another tender smile formed on Raven's face as it had so many times tonight. Her features softened and she appeared completely serene. "Merry Christmas," she said back to him.

Tentatively, Beast Boy took a small step toward her and half-extended an arm, not sure why he was doing so. Raven leaned toward him at the same time. The distance separating their faces decreased ever so slightly until, in a moment of hesitation, they both stuttered and backed away. Beast Boy quickly looked up as Raven looked down, blushes reddening their cheeks more than the wintry air ever could. When they felt the warmth dissipate from their cheeks, they returned to each other's eyes, small smiles playing on their lips. Finally, Beast Boy's brushed his hand against Raven's arm and their bodies gravitated closer together. Slowly, they brought themselves into a gentle, but secure hug as the resonant ringing of the church bell faded into the night.

When they finally released each other, they felt the freezing air replace the warmth where their bodies had been touching. They stood there, looking into each other's eyes, carefully and steadily.

"So did making a snowman get you warm?" Beast Boy asked calmly, breaking the silence again.

"A little, but not really," she said, still focusing on his eyes, "but it did help me take me take my mind off the cold for awhile."

"Wanna head inside now?" he asked, pointing towards the stairwell.

"I would like that," she said mildly, her cheeks feeling warmer yet again.

Side by side, they walked back towards the stairwell, both wanting to seek the warmth and comfort inside the tower. Raven left her scarf and Beast Boy left his hat, both articles sitting on the one entity that stood tall and proud in its wintery domain. Not too far from it, two angels imprinted in the snow laid side by side, the edges of their wings just barely touching.

Beast Boy opened the door for Raven chivalrously. She gladly accepted his offer with another smile and stepped inside ahead of him. When the door shut, they left the cool wintery air behind them but brought in the silence of the night.

* * *

**A/N's****:**

And there you go! All 9000-some words!

You have no idea how happy I am to finally finish this. It took up a week's worth of good night sleep; working on it from like 1am to about 5 or 6am each night. I don't know how fast everyone else can write, but I consider that making serious progress. This is by far my proudest work so far, so I hope it has had a similar effect on you as it did for me.

And I'm sorry if the "defeat of Trigon" stuff is just an annoying reoccurrence to you, but to me it is a very important part of Raven's personality for post Season 4 stories, which most of mine are.

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Yay snow! Whichever one makes you feel the best!

_**Edit (6/19/11)**_**:** You probably won't notice the edits if you've read before, but I hope they make a positive difference. This is still one of my personal favorites. I would love to hear what you thought about it. Thanks for reading!


	12. 11: Doves

**Disclaimer****: Come on, if I owned the Teen Titans, would I really be sitting here writing stories?**

**Rating****: K**

* * *

_/edited: 7 January 2011_

**Doves**

If there was one thing that could always break her concentration, it was that Tamaranean gasp.

Raven almost tumbled out of the air onto the hard, unforgiving surface of the rooftop. Luckily, she was able to catch herself and save her bottom from an unfortunate bruising. As she regained her breath, she peered over at Starfire, who clasped her hands together against her chest. She sported an irritatingly jubilant smile.

"Starfire, was that _really_ necessary?" Raven asked, slightly annoyed.

"Oh Raven! You have missed it!" she said quite loudly.

The two Titan girls were currently partaking in their 'girl time', which they tried to make daily, but sometimes there were certain superhero duties that prevented this. Starfire was the one to approach Raven, asking if they could do 'the meditating' together. Instead of taking Raven's usual spot in front of the bay window in the common room, they decided to commandeer the roof from the boys, who were in the midst of a free-for-all basketball game. Notwithstanding, they had no chance of holding their ground against the two woman army. It was warm out, and a slight breeze balanced out the heat of the bright sun; it was perfect for what the girls had in mind.

Raven was starting to grow impatient; she needed her meditation. "Missed what?"

"Those!" Starfire said, proceeding to point to an area in the sky behind them.

Raven turned her body in midair and saw a small flock of white-feathered birds flying inland. She then looked back at Starfire, one eyebrow cocked. "A bunch of birds?"

The alien girl's smile never faltered. "Yes, birds, but are they not beautiful?"

"Um, sure?"

"They flew directly over where we are sitting," Starfire explained. "I have not seen creatures so purely white and graceful in flight."

Raven looked back at the flock and squinted. "It just looks like a flock of doves."

"Doves? Is this the name they are given?"

"Yes."

Starfire thought for a moment. "Please, do they come from soap?"

Raven snapped her head back to Starfire and stared at her queerly. "Excuse me?"

"The soap that lies on the small rack in the shower. It says 'Dove'. Is this not why you call the birds doves?"

Raven sighed, finally understanding. "No, the company that makes the soap is called Dove. It is named after the bird, which we call a dove. That's why the bird is on the logo."

"Oh yes, I see now," Starfire said. Her facial expression gave the impression that a broken electrical circuit in her head had been reconnected.

Raven was quite ready to get back to meditating. She was secretly elated that Starfire wanted to meditate with her; it made her feel very special to be able to share her enjoyments with the only other female living in the barbarian society known as Titans Tower. However, no matter the circumstance, she did not like her own meditation to be interrupted. It was an essential part of keeping herself balanced, so she needed to meditate thoroughly.

"Alright, let's pick up where we left off," Raven directed, quickly moving away from the topic. "Find a comfortable position, close your eyes, find your center, and…"

Raven resumed her lotus position and breathed out very slowly. She repeated her mantra quietly and her whole body began to relax.

Starfire watched as Raven did this. She had wanted to continue their discussion on the doves, but it seemed she would have to wait.

**-X-X-X-**

A calm feeling coursed through her every muscle, every bone, and every vein. Every relaxed breath of air seemed to cleanse her lungs and purify her mind.

Raven smiled lightly to herself and slowly opened her eyes. She couldn't help but stifle a small laugh when she looked over at Starfire, who was now lying on the ground, out cold.

Raven lowered her legs and softly touched down on the ground. She went over to the sleeping princess and knelt down.

"Starfire, wake up," she said, lightly shaking her shoulder.

Starfire began to stir. Her eyes opened groggily and saw Raven kneeling over her. Slowly, she rose from her lying position, but only got so far as sitting up. She was not quite ready to stand.

She lifted her arms and stretched languidly. "Please forgive me, friend," she yawned. "It was not my intention to fall asleep."

"Don't worry about it, Star," Raven said lightly. "Meditation _is_ supposed to help you relax."

"This I can clearly see," she responded.

They both smiled at each other. Raven was thankful Starfire had fallen asleep though; it had insured an interruption-free meditation. She decided to sit down also, so she took a spot on the ground facing Starfire and crossed her legs. Meditation always left her feeling in a good, or at least better, mood. So, now would be a good time to converse with Starfire. No matter how their personalities separated them, their femininity was something that kept them close. She knew that their talking meant a lot to Starfire. And Starfire was very aware of the fact that being able to make conversation with Raven was not only a near impossible feat to accomplish, but it was also a genuine privilege.

Under the ideal circumstances, Raven was probably more helpful than anyone else on the planet, or at least her friends liked to think so. Raven possessed a worldly knowledge, an impeccable sense of logic, an understanding like no other, and even a sense of dry humor that was more enjoyable than Cyborg beating down Beast Boy. It always saddened Starfire, however, that Raven had to paint her colorful personality with a dull, gray exterior. This was how Raven was, and only one thing could change that. That one thing was Raven herself.

"Raven, do you recall the doves?"

"You're still thinking about them?"

"I have never seen anything in nature so wondrous."

"Well, I've never seen white doves around here."

"They are not all white?"

Raven shook her head. "As much as I know about birds, _wild_ white doves are uncommon, let alone a whole flock of them."

Starfire's eyes seemed to gleam with remembrance of the birds. "Then perhaps we are witness to something of much significance."

"Perhaps," Raven said thoughtfully. "White doves _are_ very symbolic."

The gleam in Starfire's eyes now made them seem like two priceless emeralds. "Of what are they symbolic?"

"Peace…"

Raven had the vague suspicion that she was going to regret the next thing she was about to utter.

"…and sometimes love."

And there it was. That gasp. That gasp that could belong to no being but Starfire. But oddly, Raven found herself to be amused more than anything else. Yes, meditation was indeed the best way to keep her calm.

"Love?" Starfire inquired after regaining her composure.

Raven nodded.

"How do they symbolize it? Please tell." The girl was overeager; the smile on her face was as large and hopeful as it could have been.

"Well, sometimes during Christian weddings, a flock of doves is released to commemorate the marriage of the newly wedded couple."

Starfire's glimmering eyes were steadily focusing on Raven with deep interest.

"Or," Raven continued, "the bride and groom each take will take a dove into their hands. And together, they will release them into the air."

Starfire sighed, laying down on her back and staring up into the clear blue sky. She was caught in fantasy. "That seems so very wonderful. I hope to commemorate my wedding in this way. Would you not agree?"

"Oh, yeah… sure," Raven said hesitantly. "It sounds… nice."

Starfire rose back up and looked at Raven quizzically. "If you are sure, then why do you speak so unsurely?"

"No really," Raven said, trying to seem like her casual self. "I can't imagine anything else as special."

"But there is something else that is on your mind?"

Raven turned away, her eyes not really focusing on anything.

"Raven, you are very… private. You hide your burdens and keep them your own." Starfire spoke in a serious, but comforting manner. "I am your friend, and at times I think of us as being sisters. In this we share something that cannot be broken. It is because of this that I am able to tell that something burdens you at this moment."

Raven turned back to Starfire, but did not show any signs of wanting to speak.

"Raven," Starfire addressed her again, "you help me to understand many things. Please, allow me to help you."

"It's not really something that can be helped," she replied evasively.

"Then perhaps we can just do the 'talking-it-out'?"

While meditation helped Raven find balance, she found that it also made her emotionally vulnerable. When less effort was required to keep everything contained, she tended to slip up and show more than she wanted. However, she owed Starfire at least this much. Raven realized that Starfire was really like her, in a certain sense. Underneath her exuberance, an unbridled joy was a serious and understanding young woman.

"I've never given my wedding much thought," Raven offered, still beating around the bush.

"Why not?"

"I don't know. I can't say that it has ever appealed to me."

Starfire seemed confused. "But surely it must. Do you not ever dream of finding love with a man and becoming betrothed?"

"No, I don't."

"But why not?"

Raven stared down at her feet. "I don't see myself falling in love. I don't see anyone falling in love with me."

Starfire was taken aback by this. "How can you not? Love is a natural part of every being. I do not think love can be ignored. And I am sure a man will fall for you."

"My reasons for not falling in love are my own, and you can't know that for sure," Raven pointed out dejectedly.

"But I can," Starfire shot back. "I will tell you something. No matter where you may travel in this universe, you will find that men share a common quality."

Raven furrowed her eyebrows. "And that would be?"

Starfire smiled. "Men fall in love with what they cannot have. Many will become fraudulent and coercive in order to attain what they desire. Others give up easily or choose not to pursue at all. As a princess of Tamaran, I should know."

Raven looked up.

"Raven, you are what men cannot have. You are what they cannot have because you will not allow them to have you. The man that _truly_ loves you will be the one to strive unboundedly to prove this wrong because he believes you are worth more than anything he could ever want. And he will do it with you in his mind, not himself. Only this man will be the one to deserve you."

Raven showed something that looked like the beginnings of a smile. She had no idea Starfire was so perceptive.

Starfire noticed this and her spirits were lifted greatly. "And you are so gorgeous! How can a man not fall for you?"

Raven went wide-eyed in surprise by the sudden exclamation. "Do you really mean that?"

"Of course! I will tell you another thing." Starfire seemed to become a little embarrassed, as made evident by the blush on her orange cheeks. "I am envious of you."

A wide-eyed Raven stared back at her. "…you can't be serious," she said incredulously.

"I swear on my grebnaks."

"I don't know why you would," Raven said, starting to feel slightly self-conscious.

"Your hair is always so very luscious and shiny. It is the most beautiful shade of violet I have ever seen! You have 'the curviness' that I simply do not have. Please, do not mind me saying this, but your figure is… I believe the word is… voluptuous?"

Raven was now blushing wildly, but before she could say anything, Starfire spoke again.

"I do not think I could ever wear a leotard as well as you do. Raven, you are the prettiest girl I know."

Now Raven was taken aback, but, surprisingly, she felt much better. She had never been confident in her appearance, but hearing Starfire's words and sensing truthfulness in them made her feel uplifted.

"Wow… I never expected to hear anyone say that… I've always been envious of you," Raven admitted.

Starfire laughed. "Now I believe you are the one who is not being serious."

"You're tall, you're thin, and your hair and your skin are perfect. You look stunning in everything you wear. No other girl on this planet could possibly hold a candle to you. You're definitely one-of-a-kind— the prettiest girl I know."

Starfire smiled warmly. "I thank you, Raven. Has our talking benefited you?"

Raven nodded. "Yes, it has."

"I am also thankful for the 'girl time'," Starfire added. "It has allowed us many opportunities to learn about each other." She lay back down on her back again.

"I agree. Thank you for talking to me," Raven said, lying down also.

"Mhmm," Starfire replied simply.

Raven just closed her eyes when she heard it again. That piercing gasp.

Starfire was sitting up, yet again. "Do you think that it is possible that those doves came from a wedding!"

Raven blinked, amazed at the girl's train of thought. "They might have."

"Perhaps they were symbolic of something else."

Raven made no attempt to separate her body from the warmth emanating off the roof. "Of what?"

"Of what is to come for us…"

* * *

**A/N's****:**

Haha, a little cheesy maybe? I don't know; my mind forces me to record its ideas on paper. I have no control over my hands.

Writing this really proved to me how much of a hard time I have writing Starfire dialogue… hopefully the saying "practice makes perfect" applies here somewhat.

Thanks for reading!


	13. 12: A Little Privacy

**Disclaimer****: Come on, if I owned the Teen Titans, would I really be sitting here writing stories?**

**Rating****: MT - **a** mature teen** who is not looking for "he put is hoohoodilly into her chacha." Note that this is _**not a lemon**_, but still highly suggestive.

**Pre-note**: This is the first suggestive piece I've ever written *blushes*. Hope I didn't do too badly…

* * *

_/edited: 22 May 2011 _

**A Little Privacy**

The sound of her ragged breaths tantalized his senses as he led her up the stairs, his hand firmly in grasp with hers. She, all the while, let him lead, not caring that her legs were growing weary from all of the stairs or that she was already out of breath from the brief moment before. It did not matter that they left the comfort of the couch or that the air was becoming increasingly warmer as they ascended. She just wanted to be close to him again; close enough to see every fine detail of his shimmering eyes and to push away the pesky strands of hair that fell in front of them; close enough to feel his warmth over more than just her one hand.

Their hasty pace upward was ended abruptly by a door in their path. A red light blinked on the key pad next to it, signifying that Cyborg's security system was activated for the night.

"Get us out there?" he asked her, panting.

She nodded, breathing just as heavily. Both knew equally well that even if a Titan authorized passage through an outside door during nighttime lockdown, the system would immediately notify Cyborg—it was a security measure he insisted be put in place. They planned to avoid any company.

In a wave of black energy, the two vanished from one side of the door and reappeared on the adjacent side. She barely had time to gaze across the roof of the tower before her hand was taken again and she was dragged off in some direction.

He looked back at her, a sly twinkle in his shimmering eyes. "Come on, over here," he said. His smile was slight, his lips curling at one corner. It sent shivers down her spine and back up again.

She looked to where she was being pulled and saw a convenient space between two large cooling towers. It created an escape from the shine of the moon far above the earth as well as from the view of the doorway.

He stopped at the opening of the gap between the cooling towers and slowly stepped back into the shadows. The light hitting his body disappeared and only his silhouette remained in front of her. She could make out the lifting of a hand and a fluid gesture that beckoned her to join him in the darkness. She complied and took cautious steps to where his silhouette stood waiting silently. Her gentle steps masked the fervency inside her, but it found its way out anyway in the form of vigorous flutters that filled her stomach and caused her heart to beat harder and faster.

The night air was humid—thick and uncomfortable to breathe in. Sweat beaded at her forehead and threatened to fall any second. Her skin felt overheated and sticky beneath the material of her clothing. It needed to be removed, quickly. But oddly, she loved this; she only felt her excitement and temptation build. It fueled her yearning to be close to him. And as her hand brushed against the skin of his arm, and as she felt him gravitating nearer to her, she reasoned that the atmosphere had a similar effect on him.

Her hands slowly glided up his bare arms as she continued to step closer, and his hands moved from her forearms, to her elbows, and to her hips. When her hands reached the back of his neck and when his clasped together at her lower back, they paused, soaking in the feel of each other, the scent of each other, the sound of each other's long, deep breaths. An insignificant fraction of space separated their lips; they were so close, just as many times before, but each time felt new and even more exhilarating. In their closeness, they stood intoxicated by each other, waiting patiently despite the eagerness that was consuming their restraint.

"Beast Boy?" she said, gazing longingly at her capturer.

Her hands squeezed on the tops of his shoulders. "Raven?" he responded.

"Don't stop now." Her voice was deep, full of a rich seductiveness that threw his senses into a frenzy.

At her desperate whim, he quickly diminished that insignificant fraction of space and caught her lips with his.

With a sharp intake of air through her nose, she delightfully received and passionately returned his kiss. As lamps across the rooftop blew out in bursts of dark energy, the two explored each other without concern for it, concealed by the night and the shadows.

Their tongues intertwined into an intricate dance of dominance while their lips mingled and played. A wave of ecstasy flooded their bodies as they pressed against one another, intensifying the heat.

Beast Boy savored the sweet nectar of the blooming flower he held; he was not about to take it in all at once. Beads of sweat rolled down his temple and to his jaw line as his hands explored her back, stroking her affectionately. The sweat dripped to the tip of his chin, and as he suddenly swung her around to push her up against the side of the cooling tower, the droplets fell onto the bare skin of her chest exposed by her low-cut t-shirt.

The quick move surprised Raven and a short moan managed to escape her as their lips continued their ardent struggle. Nevertheless, she let him proceed. She, however, became interested with the hot, moist skin that lied beneath that troublesome t-shirt of his. She felt her way from his waist, to his defined abdomen, and to his chest. She noted how his respirations deepened. She slid her hands around to his back and slowly ran them down to his waist again where she gripped the bottom of his shirt and tugged at it.

She reluctantly broke off the kiss and got close to one of his sensitive ears. "Off. Now," she whispered.

"What?" he asked as he regained his breath.

"I want to see _you_," she demanded.

Before he could utter another word, she lifted up on the shirt. He obeyed and lifted his arms to help her slip it off him. A devious smile crept its way to her lips as she admired his build.

"You too," he said, causing her eyes to break away from his torso and move to his eyes.

She seemed to squirm a little, barely enough for him to notice. "Aren't you worried that some—"

"Just the shirt. I want to see you too," he said, smiling the way she had at him.

He moved his hands to her waist as she kept her eyes steadily on his. When he grabbed the bottom of her shirt, she did not object, and when he began lifting it, she raised her arms, but remained just as stolid. Once it was finally off, she stood before him in just her jeans and a brassiere.

He gazed up and down the hourglass contours of her body in amazement and stepped forward, taking the palms of her hands into his. He squeezed them and looked deeply into her eyes, smiling warmly.

Raven began to feel both nervous and even more eager at the sight of the man before her and the feel of his hands smoothly venturing up her arms, coming to rest on her shoulders. The energy and emotion exuding from him invigorated the fire burning inside her, the fire that fueled the passion to kiss and explore him in even more depth than before. However, she remembered her shirtless state and suddenly she felt very inadequate compared to him. Then she felt something flow from deep within him and into her, and her heart skipped a beat.

"You really are stunning," he said softly. He leaned to her and kissed her gently. "Don't ever think twice about that."

She heard his voice and felt the genuineness of his emotions, and at that moment, her inhibitions disappeared. His sincerity made her want him all that much more. Her devious smile returned and she carefully touched her nose to his, basking in the warmth of both his skin and his increasingly heavy exhales.

"I would _never_ think twice," she purred. "Not with you."

With the delicacy of a feather, she licked his upper lip. Chills overtook his whole body and Raven laughed throatily before claiming his lips again. Beast Boy could hardly register her words.

She pressed her whole body against him and moaned at the sensation of feeling his abdomen against her own. His skin was her treasure, her comfort; stimulation more potent than any magic potion or spell she could ever conjure. And he, all the while, kissed her with the desperation to absorb every amount of pleasure she could give him. He ran his hands up and down her frame to memorize every voluptuous curve of her petite figure.

Beast Boy's lips daringly ventured to her jaw line and started moving along the side of her neck. Ragged breaths emanated from her throat as his hot lips teased the sensitive skin on her neck.

"Do you think… the others will find… out about this?" she asked, pausing whenever he stumbled upon certain spots.

Beast Boy chuckled as he slowly began to pursue a southern route. "I don't think—"

The familiar, dreadful sound of a door unlatching tauntingly made its way to Beast Boy's ears. Raven flinched in his arms, telling him that she heard it too. However, she was disappointed more than anything else. She craved the feeling of him against her and she instinctively dug her nails into his shoulders, attempting to prevent him from reinstating the cold gap between them, but he did anyway. He removed her hands and proceeded to peak out from the safety of the shadows and around the cooling tower. For a moment, she was angry with him for doing so, but as the coolness of the air wisped around her and settled into her skin, she began to return to rationality. The realization that they were in danger of being caught, and more importantly, being relentlessly embarrassed finally sunk in and she immediately scrambled to locate her shirt in the pitch dark.

Beast Boy spied toward the doorway and came across and oddly familiar sight: a handsome young man leading a gorgeous young lady up to the roof, both noticeably giddy and quite interested in kissing the other on the lips.

"Put on your shirt," Raven said suddenly.

He turned around only to be met by the impact of a sweaty shirt to his face. Ignoring the attack, he hastily put the shirt back on and straightened it out over his torso.

"Okay," he said once he finished, "maybe if we go around the other side they won't notice us."

Even in the darkness of the shadows, he could make out the standard monotonous Raven stare, except she was looking past him.

"Too late," she said with no emotion.

He mentally cursed her ability to put on a straight face so damn quickly.

The sound of approaching footsteps suddenly stopped. "Uhhhh… hey guys," came an unsure male voice.

Beast Boy winced and turned around to see a perplexed Robin standing at the entrance of the gap between the two cooling towers. Starfire stood right behind him, leaning over his shoulder with an equally confused expression on her face.

"Heh, er… what's up, Robin? Star?" he asked, unable to shake the overbearing awkwardness in the air surrounding them.

"Oh, you know," Robin said slowly, biding his time for an answer. "We both couldn't sleep."

"Yes, it was quite uncomfortable in Rob—our rooms with the heat," Starfire added.

"Like it's any better out here," Raven said, padding out of the shadows and out into the open.

Silence swept over them and Beast Boy stared off into every place except for at the couple in front of him. Raven remained completely still and stared straight forward, seemingly unphazed by the situation at hand.

"So why are _both_ of you up here?" Robin finally asked.

And then Beast Boy noticed it. That one question caught Raven off guard. She began to shift her weight from one foot to the other and looked down as if she was studying the texture of the cement that was supporting them high above the tiny island below. He was too preoccupied with her faltering show of apathy to be concerned with giving Robin a believable reason as to why he had found two Titans, a boy and a girl, who were seemingly just friends, lurking in the shadows on the roof well past midnight.

Always the one to make completely absurd statements during nervous moments, it was no wonder why Beast Boy was shocked by what Raven would say next.

"We were going for an early morning run."

Beast Boy had to resist the urge to twist his head and glare at her. It was done; he no choice but to follow along.

"A run?" Robin asked skeptically. Of course, he had a good reason to be skeptical, Beast Boy thought.

Beast Boy felt the sweat still dripping down to his chin. "Yeah, why do you think we're sweating?"

He saw that Robin obviously had to bite back his response and think of a new one. Maybe that was not the best choice.

"But you went _together?_ Besides, it's only two in the morning," he said.

Frustration filled Beast Boy's head. Not because of Robin's interrogating habits, but because of Raven's absurd cover story. What the hell was he supposed to do?

"Well," Raven interjected again, "we had just as much reason to come up here as you did. And we _are_ friends, you know. We are entitled to do what we want with our time."

"I guess," Robin replied demurely.

Raven sounded as though she had taken offense to Robin's question, but Beast Boy could not tell whether she was being serious or if she was just putting on a show. In any case, she ceased Robin's line of questioning in its tracks. Crossing Raven was never a wise plan.

With that, she redeemed herself and Beast Boy calmed down. He smiled in relief. "Well, we're finished so we're gonna try to go back to sleep now. See you two in the morning… well, later morning." He found the chance to exit and took it without a second thought.

"Goodnight," Starfire said.

Beast Boy and Raven waved and walked away, making sure not to look back to reduce the risk of being stopped again. They walked side by side until they reached the doorway and stepped inside, proceeding to walk down the stairs with Beast Boy leading.

"That was a close one," Beast Boy said in a half laugh once the door closed behind them.

"Practically unscathed," Raven said, grinning. "Though, neither of them seemed too interested in our answers."

"I had a feeling," Beast Boy said.

She let out a short laugh. "How? You're not the one who can read emotions," she jested.

"True, but I saw how they were acting when they came through the door."

"Oh? And how was that?" She was curious to hear his response.

Beast Boy kept an even pace going down the stairs. "Sort of like us."

"Hmm, how comical," she said simply.

"What is?"

"We went up there to get some privacy, and we ended up getting interrupted anyway. And by interrupting us, they disrupted their own search for the same privacy."

Beast Boy had to repeat that to himself. "Eh, that's not really funny, just unfortunate," he commented, chuckling anyway. Then his expression dropped. "And since they opened the door, Cyborg's bound to be on his way up here."

His sensitive ears lost track of a set of footsteps. He stopped and turned around to see why Raven had stopped.

Her lips were parted ever so slightly and he could see the miniscule rising and falling of her chest with each breath. She eyed him, looking from his eyes, to his feet, and back again, sending an excited shiver all the way down his body. He liked the way she was looking at him.

"It's not exactly…" she said, pausing to take slow steps down the stairs. She elegantly placed her feet and swayed her hips side to side in a hypnotic movement that charmed him like a snake.

"…unfortunate," she finished once she reached the same step he was at.

Her tone was sultry and he felt himself melting for her. "What do you mean by that?"

"The other bedrooms by mine are empty now," she said quietly.

Her expertise baffled him; she captivated his senses so swiftly and effortlessly. He did not mind though.

"We may have a little privacy," she paused when her lips grazed against his, "if you want it."

"I want it…"

In a wave of black energy, they disappeared.

* * *

**A/N's****:**

Well there you have it! Please let me know if I succeeded or failed in this experiment with this so-called "erotic" stuff. Constructive criticism is much _much_ appreciated. Thanks!


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